


Make It Better

by catalinaao98



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Banter, Bisexuality, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, Jealousy, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 73,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22990498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catalinaao98/pseuds/catalinaao98
Summary: Jude came back from Casa Amor to a Villa full of broken relationships. But will this be the opportunity she needed to finally realize her feelings for a certain golden-eyed baker boy?
Relationships: Bobby/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 55
Kudos: 126





	1. Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This story picks up after the events of Casa Amor. Hope you all enjoy :)

##### Day 18

Bobby didn't know what reaction he'd expected from Jude when she returned from Casa Amor, but laughter was certainly not it. Yet there she was in front of Blake, laughter bubbling uncontrollably out of her lips while the other Islanders stared at her, looking dumbfounded. 

_Well, I don’t know what Blake was hoping for with that comment, but I bet that definitely wasn’t it,_ Bobby thought, biting his tongue to keep from laughing along with Jude. Caroline, the husky-voiced presenter of the show, was doing her best to keep a straight face, but Bobby could see her lips thinning as she tried to hold in her grin.

Finally, the laughter stopped, and Jude wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, staring down Blake. Everyone else hushed and looked between the two of them apprehensively, sensing the imminent smackdown.

“Listen, bitch,” Jude began, her voice sharp like a knife. Bobby heard someone gasp. “If you’re trying to get a rise out of me, I can tell you right now that it’s not gonna work, so you better save yourself the trouble. I don’t know and I don’t care whether you’ve got some sort of inferiority complex, or whether you’re just naturally insecure, or whatever, but putting down other women isn’t gonna make you feel any better about yourself. If Chelsea’s innocent little comment bothers you _that_ much, then I got news for you hun: what’s coming to you when you get out of here will be a hundred times worse. So grow some thicker skin. Cause you’re gonna need it.” 

With that, Jude flipped her hair over her shoulder and side-stepped Blake, whose neck had gone red underneath her thick layers of foundation. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as she tried to find a comeback. Jude, completely ignoring her, walked up to Noah, who stood a few paces behind Blake, looking shell-shocked.

“As for you,” Jude spat, tilting her head up to glare at Noah. The 6’3 giant somehow managed to look smaller than the girl who stood before him, her eyes burning into his. “I know we’d only just gotten together, but I really didn’t expect this bullshit,” she said, gesturing behind her towards Blake. “I thought you were loyal. I guess that was my mistake. One that I won’t be making again, I promise you that much. So I hope you’re happy with your choices, because I certainly am.”

Noah’s cheeks had grown visibly redder under his dark skin as Jude spoke, his shoulders hunching forward. He didn’t, however, say a single word. _He knows he has no excuse,_ Bobby thought, watching Noah flounder under Jude’s glare.

Stepping away from Noah, Jude squared her shoulders. “Now, I believe this recoupling is over, so if you’ll excuse me…?” She said, looking at Caroline. After a quick glance to confirm with the producers, she gave her an approving nod. “Great,” Jude said, then coolly turned on her heel and walked off. 

Bobby felt a slow grin spread on his face. _And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you rock a recoupling,_ he thought, staring admiringly after Jude as she marched into the Villa. 

*** * ***

Jude’s heartbeat pulsed in her ears. She felt her cheeks getting hotter and hotter, and as soon as she knew she was out of sight of the others, she broke into a light jog and made a beeline for the bathroom. She burst into it just as hot tears started rolling down her face, and she swiped at them as she hunched over the sink, balling her hands into fists. She quickly opened the tap to mask the sound of her breathing from the microphones.

 _Get yourself together,_ Jude thought angrily, feeling the weight of the cameras on her as they recorded every second of her breakdown. She looked up at her reflection. The girl staring back at her had flushed cheeks, with trails of tears cutting across them. Her chin was trembling slightly, and her eyes were glassy with tears. She looked weak and pathetic and Jude hated her. 

_This is not who you are,_ she thought, gritting her teeth as more tears fell and she wiped them off. _You are Jude motherfucking Duarte. You don’t cry over an arsehole who doesn’t know what he wants. You don’t cry over meaningless insults from some insignificant bitch. You don’t cry over anyone, or anything, period._ Jude glared at the girl in the mirror, willing her to just stop bawling like an idiot, knowing every tear she shed was going to end up on national television, where millions could watch her completely humiliate herself and probably enjoy every minute of it. _Don’t give them what they want,_ she thought angrily. _Do not give Noah and Blake and Hope the satisfaction of seeing you cry over this._

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know someone was in here!” 

Jude whirled towards the voice, finding Bobby stood in the doorway. He was about to step back out of the bathroom when he took in Jude’s appearance, his eyes widening. 

“Bobby, what the fuck!” Jude sneered, hastily turning away and rubbing at her face. “Don’t you know how to knock?” 

“Yes, I just didn’t think –” He stammered out, before stopping himself. “Never mind that. What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” Jude grumbled, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Fuck off, Bobs.” 

Approaching footsteps sounded behind her. 

“It’s not nothing,” Bobby’s voice was soft, and Jude felt his hand come to rest lightly on her shoulder. She shook it off and turned her face away from him. “Hey. Are you crying?” 

Jude shook her head stubbornly as she felt fresh tears rising in her eyes. _For fuck’s sake, stop making a spectacle of yourself,_ she thought, sniffling violently. 

“You’re crying,” Bobby remarked, sounding worried. “Is this about Noah?” 

Jude shook her head again.

“Then what?” Bobby insisted. Jude remained silent. “Jude. Look at me.” 

“No,” Jude bit back, but her voice, thick and strangled, betrayed her. She sniffed again. “Fucksake Bobby,” she cursed, reaching for a tissue. “Can’t you just leave me alone?” 

“Not when you’re like this,” Bobby said. “C’mon Juju.” 

Jude couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that escaped her lips. “I told you not to call me that!” She groaned. 

“I know, but it annoys you, so I’m gonna keep doing it.” 

Jude rolled her eyes. With a sigh, she looked up at Bobby. His eyebrows were knit together in concern and his mouth set in a frown as he took in her disheveled appearance, but he didn’t speak. 

“I didn’t want everyone to see me like this,” Jude mumbled, fiddling with her tissue. 

“Like what? Cause you look really hot,” Bobby tried to joke. “Yeah, the whole melting look, it’s really working for you.” 

Jude let out another bark of laughter. “Nice try,” she said sarcastically, thinking of how gross she must be looking. _And all for what?_ She thought bitterly. _A spineless twat and a meerkat in a gold curtain?_ Before she could stop them, tears welled up in her eyes again. “Oh, fuck this!” 

“Um…” Bobby looked at her uncertainly. 

“Not you, Bobby,” Jude said, reaching for another tissue. “I’m just pissed at myself for being pathetic.” She dabbed at her eyes, the tissue soaking through in a matter of seconds. 

“How do you mean?” 

“Just… All this.” She gestured at her face, feeling like an idiot. Her vision remained cloudy, fresh tears replacing those she’d wiped away. She blinked, and felt a few drops rolling down her face. 

“Why am I being a fucking melt?” She growled, wiping at her eyes. More tears fell. Jude grit her teeth. _Just. Stop. Crying,_ she commanded herself, to no avail. Her nose started tingling. “Dammit!” 

A sob bubbled its way past her lips. Then another, and another and another. Before she knew it, Jude’s body was shaking as she struggled to take a breath. The more she tried to calm herself, the worse the sobbing got, and the more she felt her control slipping away. “Fuck!” She choked out. “I’m such a goddamn fucking idiot! I can’t believe this!” Jude cursed through her sobbing. 

Bobby reached for her, but she shook him off again. 

“I should’ve seen this coming! This always happens, and yet every time, I’m fucking surprised. I’m such a fool! I never fucking learn, Bobby! I always go for the same damn motherfuckers, and it’s always the same bloody story! What’s wrong with me?! I mean, _seriously_?!” 

Jude wanted to punch something. Instead, she dug her fingers into her hair, her hands clenching into fists, hoping the pain would snap her out of her hysteria. Her scalp prickled. _Good,_ Jude thought through the tears. _It’s what I deserve for being such a pathetic loser. I’m gonna rip my hair out and they’re gonna kick me out for being too ugly and it’ll all finally be over._

Suddenly, the prickling stopped as Bobby gripped her hands. He gently disentangled them from her hair. Then he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Jude struggled, trying to break free, but Bobby held strong until she gave up and clutched at his shirt, letting the sobs wrack through her body. Eventually, her breathing became normal, and the tears stopped flowing. Finally managing to get herself under control, Jude noticed Bobby’s fingers quietly combing through her hair as he held her. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he murmured against the top of her head. A shiver ran down Jude’s spine at the feel of his lips against her hair.

She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, her voice still thick and raw. 

“What for?” 

“Your shirt’s full of snot. And mascara.” 

Bobby’s chest shook as he chuckled. “Eh, that’s alright. I didn’t like it that much anyway.”

“No, but seriously,” she insisted. “I can’t believe I freaked out on you like that. It was so embarrassing. You must think I’m a complete ninny.” 

“No one in their right mind would ever think you a ninny, Juju,” Bobby joked. Jude lightly punched him in the ribs. “You’re being daft. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” 

“Yes, I do. It’s weak and pathetic. I fucking hate that I lost my shit like that, especially in front of you.” She paused. “I can’t stand the thought that from now on, all you’ll ever see when you look at me is this broken little girl crying on the bathroom floor over some dude, because that’s not me. It’ll never be me. I refuse to be that— _that_ girl.”

Bobby put his hands on Jude’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “First of all, you’re insane because I never, not once in my life, would ever think of you as a ‘broken little girl’. You’re literally the strongest, fiercest person I’ve ever known, and it’s fucking amazing. I love how you feel everything so deeply, and–” Bobby cut himself off. He cleared his throat and continued. “Second of all, it isn’t weak or pathetic to cry. We’re humans, and we have emotions, and sometimes we can’t control those emotions. You’re in a shitty situation right now. It’s okay to cry, and it’s okay to not be okay. I’ll never think less of you, or anyone else, for having emotions and for letting them out. I promise you that, Jude. No matter what, you can always come to me. Okay?” 

Jude blinked slowly. She looked up into Bobby’s eyes and shivered at the intensity she saw in them. Confusion flooded Jude’s mind as her heart started beating faster. _What are you doing? It’s Bobby. Your best friend. Bobby. Stop it._

Suddenly, she realized she’d been quiet for way longer than socially acceptable. “Oh, um, thank you, Bobby. You’re such an amazing… friend?” The word came out like a question, and Jude almost frowned. Why did it taste so bitter?

Bobby pulled her back into a hug. 

“I know,” he said, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Jude’s heart thumped. “Now, let’s get you cleaned up and back out there. Unless you wanna spend the rest of the night hiding in the bathroom? We can hang out in here if you want. We can compare shampoos or something. Ooh, or make toilet paper cranes!” 

Jude shook her head. “N-No. I’m good. I’m not hiding in the bathroom all night. I won’t give them the satisfaction.”

“That’s my girl!” Bobby reached under the sink and opened the drawer. Rummaging inside, he found a pack of makeup wipes one of the girls – likely Lottie – had left behind. “Alright, hold still,” he said, cupping Jude’s chin with his palm while he held up a towelette in the other hand. Jude wondered if he could feel her face burning underneath his touch. 

“Ya know, I wasn’t kidding earlier,” Bobby spoke as he carefully wiped at her eyes. “The whole mascara-running-down-my-cheeks chic really works for you. You might wanna consider it for an everyday look.” 

Jude snorted. “Shut up, I look like a raccoon!”

“Yeah, but a sexy raccoon. Make all the boy raccoons go ‘prr-prr-prr’!” He chittered.

Jude rolled her eyes, hoping Bobby wouldn’t notice her blushing. _Did he call me sexy?_

Her concerns were put to rest by Bobby’s next words. “What sounds do raccoons make, anyway?” 

“Do I look like the kind of person who knows what sounds raccoons make?” Jude scoffed.

Bobby ignored her. “Oh, how did that song go? ‘What’s the raccoon say? Ring-ding-ding-ding–‘” 

“No mate, that’s 'What Does the Fox Say.'” 

“Oh, that’s right!” Bobby stepped back from her. “’What does the fox say? "Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!’” He sang shrilly but confidently, his hips winding in a circle from left to right, all the while grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Jude burst out laughing. She slapped a hand over her mouth. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Bobby grinned even wider. He stopped dancing and folded into a bow. “If it pleases your ladyship, I shall be your entertainment for the evening.”

“What is this, _Downton Abbey_?” Jude teased him.

Bobby gasped in mock outrage. “How dare you! It was obviously _Beauty and the Beast_! Pfft, uncultured youth.” He stepped back towards Jude. "Let us finish her offensive ladyship’s toilette.” He delicately put his hand on Jude’s forehead and pushed her hair out of the way. She closed her eyes as Bobby quickly ran the makeup wipe over her face one last time. “There you go, fresh as the morning dew!” 

Jude turned her face to look at herself in the mirror. Sure enough, her makeup was gone. Bobby had wiped away the traces of mascara running down her cheeks, along with the remnants of her eye makeup. Her bare face was still red and splotchy, and her eyes were puffy from all the crying. Jude’s gaze roamed over her reflection, memorizing her swollen face, and making herself a silent promise. _Never again._

“Hey,” Bobby said softly. Jude turned back to him. “You look beautiful.” 

Jude scoffed. “You’re full of it. I look like a bloody mess.” 

“No, I really mean it. You look beautiful all the time.” Bobby met her gaze, and Jude saw the sincerity burning in his eyes.

She averted her gaze. _Why do I keep blushing like a bloody schoolgirl?_ She looked down and turned on the cold water. Cupping her hands under the stream, she lowered her face, but her hair swung down, the ends dipping into the water. She was about to reach for a hair-tie when she felt Bobby’s hands pulling her hair behind her shoulders.

“Go on,” he urged, as Jude stared at him dumbly. Shaking herself, she lowered her face again, Bobby’s hand following the movement of her head, always careful not to tug too hard. The whole scene felt strangely intimate, like a couple getting ready for bed. Jude splashed cold water in her face a few times, until she felt the swelling around her eyes start to go down. 

She turned off the tap and Bobby instantly let go of her hair. He reached for a hand towel, handing it to her. 

“Thanks,” Jude said, wiping the dripping water off her face. She almost wanted to keep her burning face hidden in the towel, but she forced herself to throw it in the laundry bin. 

Bobby winked. “’Course. Now, makeup time!” He clapped his hands together. “Which one is your bag? I’ll go grab it from the dressing room.” 

“It’s the green one with palm leaves all over it. But–” 

“Be back in a jiff!” Bobby grinned and dashed out the door. 

Jude stared after him. She tried to gather her thoughts. _Am I being crazy?_ She wondered. _Why am I reacting like this all of a sudden? It’s Bobby. My best friend. Why is my heartbeat playing clappers every time he touches me?_

She was still mulling things over when Bobby walked back into the bathroom, carrying Jude’s makeup bag. He’d opened it and was rummaging through it.

“What do you even need all this stuff for?” He asked, holding up a bottle. “Like, what’s… Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream? Do you use that to make your soufflés rise?” 

Jude huffed and snatched the bottle from him. “It’s moisturizer, Bobby. An expensive one at that.”

“Well, the name makes me hungry,” he said, sticking his hand back into the bag. “Ah-ha, now this, I know.” He brandished an eyeliner pencil. “Want me to do your eyes?”

Jude giggled. “I got it.”

“You sure? I told you, I’m really good at the flicky cat’s eye thing.” He wiggled his eyebrows emphatically.

“I’m sure, but thanks for the offer,” Jude said, taking the eyeliner from him. “Besides, I think you could use a change of clothes.” She pointed at his shirt, which was smeared with traces of mascara and dried snot, and almost cringed.

Bobby looked down. “Aye, I suppose you’re right.”

In a swift movement, he pulled the hem of his top over his head. Jude sucked in a sharp breath as he slipped out of his shirt and tossed it in the laundry bin. _Fuck, you've seen him in a swimsuit for over two weeks straight, stop blushing you melt!_

“Right,” Bobby said, oblivious to her mental hyperventilation. “I’m going to go get another shirt. You gonna be okay in here?” 

Jude nodded. “I’ll just fix myself and meet you in the garden in a bit, all right? I’m sure they’ll want me in the Beach Hut for my reaction to tonight’s drama. Ugh,” she groaned, suddenly reminded that all of this was likely to get televised. 

Bobby reached for her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “You want me to come with you? For support?” 

Jude smiled at him. Her heart thumped. “No, I’ll be alright I reckon. Just got to get on and do it, right?”

“Exactly,” beamed Bobby. “You’ve got this. I believe in you, Juju.” He threw her a wink and clicked his tongue, then walked out of the bathroom.

Jude released a deep breath. _I’m so, so fucked._

*** * ***

Bobby was sitting on the bean bags with Gary and Ibrahim when Jude walked out into the yard. He jumped up and waved her over. 

“Jude!” 

He grinned as she made her way over. She smiled back at him.

“Alright, stranger?” Gary called.

“Long time, no see!” Ibrahim smiled.

“Look at these boys trying to play it cool,” Bobby rolled his eyes. “Come here, you!” He said, gathering her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. Bobby looped his own arms around Jude’s shoulders and squeezed her, almost breathing a sigh of relief at her familiar warmth. 

“Feeling better?” He whispered into her ear. She nodded against his chest, holding him for a few more seconds before pushing herself away. Gary and Ibrahim exchanged a curious glance as Jude and Bobby each plopped down on a free bean bag.

“It’s good to have you back, Jude,” Gary said.

“It feels like so much happened since you all went away,” Ibrahim said. 

Bobby laughed. “You don’t say. Remember when the two of you nearly got into a fight because Rahim coupled up with Lottie?”

Jude’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking!”

Bobby shook his head. “Nope, it’s true! And while we were all distracted trying to break that up, Jakub was the only one left chatting to all the new girls.”

“Don’t think he minded it too much, to be honest,” Gary grumbled.

“You must have lots of questions though, Jude?” Rahim prompted.

“Do I ever,” Jude started, leaning forward in her beanbag. “So, the recoupling. Spill. How are you all feeling?”

Gary frowned. “Well, I really wasn’t expecting Chelsea to bring someone back. I mean, I know it was kinda fresh between us, but still…” 

Jude gave him a sympathetic smile. “If it helps any, she was conflicted. She didn’t want to leave you vulnerable, but in the end, she just… really fancied Elijah.”

Gary sighed. “That’s fair, I guess. I just hope it doesn’t get us dumped,” he said, looking over at Bobby, the two of them the only boys at risk. _At least Gary has Lottie if it came down to it,_ Bobby thought. _Jude and I would probably save one other, but we’d still be just a friendship couple._ He tried not to grimace at the bitter-sweetness of that idea.

Ibrahim smiled softly. “Well, I’m really happy with Shannon. I feel like she just gets me like no one else here has before.” He faltered, his eyes darting at Jude. “Sorry to say that in front of you, but…”

Jude waved off his concern. “No need. We broke up ages ago. I’m happy you found the right person for you, Ram.”

Ibrahim beamed at her. “Thanks, Jude,” he said. “That really means a lot.”

Before Jude could say anything else, Gary turned on her. “Anyway, the real question is, how are you feeling about it? That looked intense, with Noah and Blake.”

 _Uh oh,_ Bobby thought as Jude tensed up. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m fine. I’m over it.” 

Ibrahim arched an eyebrow. “You are?” 

“Yes,” Jude insisted. “Noah’s obviously moved on, so I have as well.”

Gary grimaced. “Thing is, I’m not sure he even likes her that much,” he said, turning to Ibrahim. “You know, it’s like one of them ones where a mate gets with a girl and you can tell he’s not thinking with his head, right?” 

Ibrahim hummed in agreement.

Jude shrugged. “Don’t really give a toss. He’s mugged me off, so I’m done with him. I’m not about to sit around to be someone’s third choice.” 

“Wow,” Bobby chuckled. “Look at you with that attitude! Wouldn’t want to get on your bad side.”

“Listen, you should talk to Noah,” Ibrahim interrupted. “Even if you’re done with him, maybe give him a chance to, you know, at least explain his side of the story?”

Jude grimaced. “I just don’t see the point. His side of the story seemed pretty clear when he walked in with Blake tonight.” 

“It’s not that simple,” Ibrahim insisted. “Look, I wouldn’t feel right talking about it behind his back, but a lot of stuff happened, and he only chose Blake at the last minute. There’s more to it than you think.” 

_Yeah, like a two-second clip that was probably taken way out of context and a snake whispering into his ear,_ Bobby thought.

Jude stared at Ibrahim, her jaw clenched. “I’ll think about it,” she said after a moment. “That’s the best I can promise right now.” 

The sound of heels clicking on the decking sounded behind them. The four of them turned to see Shannon marching up towards the bean bag area.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, looking over the group with a polite smile. “I was just wondering if I could borrow my man for a sec?” 

Ibrahim grinned. “Sure thing, babe.” He pushed himself out of the bean bag. He looked down at Jude one last time. “Seriously, Jude. Think about it,” he said, reaching for Shannon’s hand as the two of them walked off. 

Gary grunted. “Actually, I think I better go and see what Chelsea and that Elijah guy are up to. Haven’t had a chance to have a proper chat with him yet,” he said, hoisting himself out of the beanbag. “See you later, Jude. Bobs.” He gave them a little salute before he wandered off in the general direction of the Villa.

“What a day, eh?” Bobby sighed, reclining on his bean bag as he watched Gary’s retreating back.

Jude did the same. “You can say that again.” 

Bobby looked up at the stars. They seemed to be twinkling brighter, he thought. _Maybe a welcome home for the girls? Lottie would know…_

He glanced around, spotting Lottie in the kitchen, together with the other girls. They seemed to be interrogating Blake, who squirmed uncomfortably under Hope’s piercing glare. Bobby almost felt sorry for her, but... _Nah. Whatever she gets, she brought on herself._

He glanced towards Jude. She was still staring up at the sky, her eyes moving as if searching for something.

“What are you looking at?” 

Jude jumped a little. “Jesus!”

“Really? Where?” Bobby craned his neck.

Jude gave him a flat stare. “You think you’re so funny.”

“I think I’m hilarious, as a matter of fact.”

Jude grumbled something under her breath. 

“Anyway, what were you looking at?” Bobby asked again.

“Constellations,” Jude said after a brief hesitation. “Tracing them out. It helps calm me down.”

Bobby’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t know you were into astrology.”

Jude rolled her eyes. “I’m not. At least, not the way Lottie is.” She hesitated. “My mum was an astrophysicist. She taught me.”

“That sounds lovely,” Bobby started, stopping himself suddenly. “Wait. _Was_?”

Jude nodded, turning her face back towards the stars. _Oh,_ Bobby thought, his heart sinking. Jude rarely talked about her family. In fact, Bobby realized, that was the first time she’d ever mentioned her mum that he knew of. 

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” he said softly. “Recent?”

“Two years this coming October,” she answered. “Before you ask – cancer.” 

“Huh?” 

“She died of cancer. That was your next question, right? Everyone asks.” 

“Oh. Um, right. I’m sorry,” Bobby repeated, feeling stupid. 

Jude gave him a sad smile and shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t be. These things happen.” 

“Yeah,” Bobby agreed. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt.” 

Jude’s smile faded. “That’s true,” she said, her expression faraway. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Bobby wishing he had something better to say than ‘sorry’. _Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it,_ he thought, thinking about how he’d feel if his own mum wasn’t there anymore. _I can’t even imagine._

Jude shivered.

“You cold?” Bobby asked, eyeing her sleeveless dress.

“I’m alright,” she said, but Bobby could see the goosebumps forming over her arms. The night was getting cooler by the minute, and that dress didn’t look like it did much to keep her warm. He wished he had a jacket to offer her.

Bobby yawned. “It’s getting on a bit. I think I’m gonna head to bed. You coming?” 

Jude shook her head. “In a minute. I’m just going to go up to the roof terrace for some fresh air. Catch you in there?”

“Yup,” Bobby said, pushing himself off the bean bag. He offered his hand to Jude, and she took it. _Woah, her hands are so soft,_ he thought. Butterflies took off in his stomach as he hoisted Jude up. His eyes locked with hers. For a moment, the two of them looked at each other in the dim light of the courtyard. Jude’s hazel eyes were wide, filled with a look Bobby had never seen before.

Bobby’s heart started beating faster. He looked down. His hand was still wrapped around Jude’s and he couldn’t help but notice how perfectly it fit in his. He quickly – albeit reluctantly – let go, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers.

“Anyway,” Bobby said. He was pretty sure his cheeks were bright red. “Don’t wait too long. It’s gonna be a real puzzle, figuring out the sleeping situation with all these people in the house.” 

Jude blinked. _Am I imagining things or is she blushing too?_ “Wow, you’re right. Do we even have enough beds?” 

“Well, in case we don’t, you fancy sharing one?” Jude widened her eyes, and Bobby’s cheeks heated even more. “Um, as mates obviously. Because I think Lottie might want to share with Gary, and everyone else is coupled up, so, like, we’d be the odd ones out. Ugh, no, I don’t mean like odd ones, odd ones!” He facepalmed. “I’ll shut up now.” 

Jude laughed. “Captain B. Smooth makes an appearance!” She brushed her fingers over Bobby’s arm. “Sharing sounds good.” 

“Right,” he said dumbly, his skin tingling a little at her touch. “Good. See you in the mad house then, Juju!” 

Jude shot him a glare. “You’re lucky your name is already a nickname, _Robert_.” 

Bobby laughed. “Don’t I know it!” 

With a sigh, Jude wiggled her fingers and headed off. Bobby stood for a moment, watching the fringes of Jude’s dress swing from left to right with the movement of her hips. Once she was inside the Villa, Bobby heaved a sigh and looked up to the stars. 

_Help me,_ he prayed silently at whatever force might be listening out there. And, for a moment, the warm summer wind brushing his face almost felt like the answer he’d been hoping for.


	2. The Way I Really Need You

_This fucking blows,_ Bobby thought as he watched Jude stand up. The fire flickered over her face as she slowly looked between the three couples in front of her. Elijah and Chelsea, Hope and Jakub, Lucas and Priya, and Blake, standing all alone after Lottie had chosen to save Noah, for whatever reason. _Maybe she fancies him too,_ Bobby thought, chuckling to himself. _Wouldn’t that be funny._

The previous night, as they were getting ready for bed, a text had announced that the public would be voting for their favourite couples, and that the couples receiving the fewest votes would be at risk of being dumped from the Villa. Bobby had shrugged it off. _Doesn’t concern me, I’m single._ He’d been far more excited at the prospect of sharing a bed with Jude, nervous energy rolling off him in waves. He’d barely been able to look at her when she’d slid under the covers next to him, wished him good night, and rolled onto her side, snoring away in minutes. 

The following morning, he’d been pretty glad there hadn’t been any cuddling when he woke up with a raging boner. _Oh, for fuck’s sake,_ he’d thought, his face on fire as he ran to the shower, suddenly thankful to be such an early riser. He was in and out of the bathroom before anyone else woke and slipped back into bed, pretending to wake up at the same time as the others. 

In all the excitement of the girls’ return from Casa Amor they’d all gone to sleep pretty late, and by the time everyone was out of bed, the day was already half over. Bobby hardly saw Jude as Lottie involved all the girls in an elaborate reconnaissance mission to find out what the guys had been up to during the time they’d been away, which had led to Hope and Noah’s tearful reunion. Bobby had wanted to roll his eyes at how over-the-top it all was, but the girls were all gushing about what a fairy-tale couple they were and he couldn’t bring himself to be the shit-stirrer again, especially when they’d finally seemed to put Operation Nope behind them. Only Jude had seemed unimpressed, staring blankly as everyone clapped before walking away to sun herself near the pool once Noah and Hope had disappeared inside the Villa for a chat. _Maybe she really is over the whole thing,_ Bobby thought, amused at Jude’s detachment to the whole thing. He’d been about to go join her when Graham had received the text that they were to get themselves ready and gather at the firepit for the results of the public vote. 

Bobby was suddenly brought back to the scene in front of him as Jude cleared her throat. “Obviously, this isn’t the easiest position to be in,” she started. The four singles – Gary, Lottie, Bobby and Jude – all had to pick one of the Islanders in danger to couple up with, effectively saving them from the cut. When he’d read the text, Bobby’s stomach had damn near fallen out through his arse. _Not only can I not couple up with the girl I actually like, any of the girls that aren’t picked by Gary or me are going home. What kind of bullshit is that? How am I supposed to choose?_

“I know most of you think I’m a heartless bitch, but I am genuinely sorry not everyone can stay. Jakub,” Jude said, turning to the burly Pole. “We don’t really know each other that well, and I think that, like, 90% of what comes out of your mouth is total bull, but I really respect you for going after what you wanted even though it meant trampling half the Villa to get it. That took some balls.” 

Jakub puffed his chest and grinned, while Hope scowled next to him. 

“Elijah,” Jude said. “You’re a good mate, but there’s no romantic connection there for either of us. If we coupled up, we’d just be wasting each other’s time, wouldn’t we be?”

Elijah lowered his eyes, saying nothing. Chelsea squeezed his hand. 

“Lucas,” Jude continued, shifting her gaze to him. “You’re a good man and you have the potential to form a genuine connection and make a girl very happy. But we both know that girl isn’t me.” 

Lucas smiled weakly, looking at Priya next to him.

Priya smiled sadly. “Do what you have to do, hun,” she told Jude. “We’ll all be okay. I promise.” 

Jude shot her a grateful smile and took a deep breath. “Alright, then.” She took a moment. “I’m making this choice because while I can’t be with the person I want, that doesn’t mean I can’t help someone else stay in the Villa.”

Bobby’s thoughts swam. _‘The person she wants’? Who does she mean? Does she still fancy Noah? Is she back to wanting him now that Hope’s at risk of going home and he’s staying? Would she have saved him if Lottie didn’t get there first?_

While Bobby’s brain struggled to make sense of her words, Jude continued on with her speech. “This person still has a lot to give. He’s a great addition to this Villa and he’s a lot of fun to be around. He hasn’t been given a proper chance yet, and he does deserve one.” She sent a meaningful look towards Bobby and Gary. “So the person I’m recoupling with is Elijah.” 

Elijah’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He looked hesitantly between Chelsea and Jude. 

“Go on, babe, it’s you,” Chelsea said softly, kissing him on the cheek before letting go of his hand and pushing him towards Jude. Elijah blinked several times as he slowly walked over and took his place next to Jude as the others clapped.

“I… I don’t know how to thank you,” he said, draping his arm around Jude’s shoulders. She stiffened and shook him off. 

“Don’t thank me. This,” she said, gesturing between them, “is strictly platonic.” 

“Um. Right. Well, I really appreciate it anyway.”

A loud ding put an end the awkward exchange. Gary stood up. 

“Right, I guess it’s my go,” he said, pocketing his phone. “I’m picking this girl because we never got the chance to see what we’d be like as a couple and I want to see where it goes. And despite what happened between us, I still think she deserves to be in the Villa. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is Chelsea.”

Chelsea’s eyes opened wide. “Really?” She broke into a brilliant smile. “Babe, that means so much to me!” She skipped over to him and hugged him as everyone else clapped, except for Lottie, who was scowling in their direction. Gary draped an arm over Chelsea’s shoulder. 

Bobby’s phone buzzed. _Last one as always,_ he thought, gritting his teeth. He was tired of always being the one having to make the choice that would send someone home. He hated squashing someone’s dreams, and he got put in this position time after time.

Bobby looked at the three remaining girls. Blake, Hope, Priya. _Alright, let’s think about this,_ he thought. _I’m not picking Blake after how she treated Jude, so that’s out of the way._ He looked at Priya, and she looked at him, smiling softly. Bobby smiled back. He knew she was Jude’s best friend in the Villa, and he was close to her too. Bobby hated the thought of having to send her home. But Priya hadn’t been happy in the Villa for a very long time. She hadn’t managed to make a real connection with anybody despite the many chances she’d had. She’d wanted Noah, but he’d gone for Jude instead. Then Lucas had picked her because he couldn’t get Hope or Jude. _The poor girl’s gone through enough. Is it fair to her to keep her here any longer?_

Then Bobby turned towards Hope. It was no secret that he wasn’t her biggest fan. _But keeping her in the Villa would mean Noah wouldn’t be free to pursue Jude, if he is still interested in her,_ Bobby surmised. _Who else would he couple up with, besides Hope? As annoying as Big Nope are, maybe saving Hope would be in my best interest…_

Lottie cleared her throat at him, and Bobby realized he’d been quiet for longer than he’d intended. He looked to the three girls in front of him.

“I wish I wasn’t the last to go. It makes this decision so much more difficult,” Bobby started. “All three of you are amazing and I’d be sad to see any of you go.” _Well, just one of you, really._

“Blake, I know we haven’t known each other very long, but if Noah liked you enough to couple up with you, I know we would get along really well.” Blake wrinkled her nose and Bobby forced down a laugh. _Yeah, no we wouldn’t._

“Priya…” He turned to his friend, a lump forming in his throat. “I don’t know what to say. You’re funny, you’re glamorous, you’re the heart of the Villa and I’d be honored if you ever thought I was in your league.” 

Priya put a hand over her heart and smiled sadly at him. 

“And Hope. No one is as strong and smart as you, and we both know we’d look like a gorgeous couple standing side by side.”

Hope stared at him blankly. _Wow, maybe you could fake a little enthusiasm, I’m deciding your fate here._ Bobby sighed. “But none of that matters. When I buy a new apron, I always want to get the matching oven gloves too. And there’s one girl here who has to stay, because she’s the oven gloves to someone’s apron. So the girl I’m choosing to couple up with is…” He paused dramatically. “Hope.” 

Hope’s eyes snapped to his, and she blinked in surprise. She stepped forward, then stopped. She turned to Blake and Priya and hugged them both. “I’m going to miss you girls,” she said flatly. Then she turned and awkwardly hugged Bobby. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Bobby winked. He looked around the circle as he and Hope sat amongst scattered applause. The others stared at him, looking puzzled by his choice. Bobby smirked. _Maybe I’m smarter than you lot gave me credit for._ He met Jude’s stare, catching a flash of her frown before she turned away, and Bobby’s smile dropped a little.

A loud buzz sounded, and Priya pulled out her phone. “Priya, Lucas, Blake and Jakub, as you have not been chosen, you are now dumped from the Island. You have thirty minutes to pack your suitcases and say your goodbyes.”

A heavy silence fell over them all as reality sunk in. Bobby gulped. _No matter how many times we do this, it never gets easier to send someone home._

Lottie was the first to break the silence, her voice choked. “Priya…” She whispered, her eyes glassy with tears. 

Priya smiled. “It is what it is,” she said simply. “It had to be someone, right?” She took Lucas’ hand, lacing her fingers through his. “Come on, babe. Let’s go pack up.”

They walked off towards the Villa together, Jakub and Blake following them without a word. The rest of the Islanders lingered around the firepit.

Hope turned to Bobby. “Thank you for saving me, again. I know you and I haven’t always been on the best of terms, so I really appreciate it.” 

“No problem,” Bobby said. “Like I said, I wasn’t going to let you go before you and Noah made a proper go of things again.” 

Hope narrowed her eyes. “So you don’t think we’re ‘toxic’? You and Jude are close. I know what she thinks about me. And you were part of that Operation Nope shite.” 

Bobby sighed. “Look, that was a long time ago. And I realize I never said sorry for my role in that, so consider this my apology.” Hope relaxed a little. “As for Jude, yes, we’re mates, but that doesn’t mean we have to have the same opinions on everything. Besides, she said she’s over Noah. And if she’s over it, then I don’t see any reason why you and Noah shouldn’t be together.”

Hope scoffed. “I don’t believe that for a second.” 

_You would if you’d seen her crying last night,_ Bobby thought, his gut twisting a little at the memory of Jude’s breakdown. “Well, I do. And I know her better than you, so...” 

“If you say so.” Hope said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. Her eyes darted towards Noah. “Anyway, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna…” She jerked her head. 

Bobby waved her off, rolling his eyes. “Go. Be with your bae.”

Hope didn’t need to be told twice. She jumped up and walked straight over to Noah.

Bobby looked around and found Jude sitting at the edge of the pool with her back to the Villa. He made his way over to her and kicked his shoes off, dangling his legs into the water. “Hey.” 

“Hey,” Jude answered without looking up. She kicked at the water. 

“That was some recoupling, eh?”

“Yup.”

Bobby sighed. “Are you cross with me for picking Hope?” 

Jude looked up at him. “No, of course not. A little confused, maybe, but not cross. I’d never be cross with you.” 

Bobby’s heart warmed. “Aww, Juju.”

Jude rolled her eyes, but said nothing. _That nickname’s growing on her, I know it,_ Bobby thought, smirking a little. “So,” he began. “Elijah?” 

“Yeah…?” 

“I’m surprised you didn’t want to get back together with Lucas. This would have been a great opportunity to put, you know, all the shit of the past behind you and start fresh.” 

Jude pursed her lips. “It’s not like I didn’t consider it,” she said, and Bobby’s heart sank a little. “But in the end, we broke up for a reason. Sure, it was fun for a while when we were together, but eventually it was just… too much. He’s too intense, I’m too intense. It was all fire and no wood. It would have never worked out.”

Bobby fought down a smile. “That’s a shame.”

Jude shrugged. “It is what it is. Honestly, I think he and Priya make a good couple. I’m happy for them.” She looked at Bobby. “Besides, I owed it to Chelsea to save her guy. I had a feeling Gary might pick her anyway, and she’s been there for me after the mess with Noah.” She grimaced. 

“So there’s really nothing between you and Elijah?” 

“Nada.”

“Maybe on your part, but I think he might actually fancy you a little. He seemed pretty disappointed when you shook him off there,” Bobby said, arching an eyebrow.

“Then he’ll have to deal with it,” Jude said categorically. “I’m not interested.” 

This time, Bobby didn’t even try to keep the grin off his face. “Poor lad,” he laughed. 

“I don’t see why,” Jude scoffed. “He gets to stay in the Villa and crack on with the girl who actually fancies him, I get to crack on with someone I actually fancy. It’s a win-win.” 

“Yeah, about that,” Bobby suddenly remembered. “What did you mean by ‘I can’t be with the person I want’? I thought you were over Noah.” 

Bobby could have sworn he saw Jude’s cheeks redden in the dim lighting around the pool. “I am. I wasn’t talking about him.” 

“Then who?” Bobby pressed curiously. “Rahim? Gary?” _She did use to be coupled up with them at some point or other…_

Jude turned her face away from him. “I – it doesn’t matter. We can’t be together now, anyway.” 

“C’mon, tell me!” Bobby prodded, elbowing her lightly.

“Just drop it, Bobby, okay?” Her voice sounded strained. 

Bobby put his hands up. “Alright, alright!” From the corner of his eye, he noticed a flurry of movement. The two of them turned around to see the rest of the group making their way towards the Villa. 

“Must be time for goodbyes,” Bobby murmured. Jude’s face fell. 

“Let’s go then,” she said quietly, pulling her legs out of the water. The two of them sat up and slipped their shoes back on. 

“Are you ready?” Bobby asked as they started after the others. 

“No,” Jude croaked. Then she reached over and took Bobby’s hand, tangling her fingers between his.

Bobby damn near keeled over as the entirety of his blood rushed up to his face. He sucked in a sharp breath, but his lungs felt like they’d shrunk to the size of a peanut. He could feel his pulse in his hand as he looked down at his fingers intertwined with Jude’s. His eyes darted up to hers, but she was staring straight ahead.

“Let’s do this, then,” she said. She turned determined eyes to Bobby’s. Bobby merely gave her a nod, incapable of forming a coherent thought. Jude nodded back, and together they stepped out to say goodbye to their friends.


	3. Hide Your Love Away

##### Day 19

“Besides, everyone else is perfectly matched up–” 

Jude choked on the bite she’d been chewing and started coughing violently. Bobby ran over to the other side of the counter and rubbed circles on her back as she tried to dislodge the piece of pancake that had seemed to take up residence in her trachea. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the little syrupy squatter popped out and air flowed back into her lungs.

“All good there?” Bobby asked, his eyes full of concern. 

Jude nodded. “Yup,” she said, her voice raspy. She took the water bottle Lottie offered her and took a swig. “Um, what did you mean by that?” 

“By what?” 

“’Everyone else is perfectly matched up’?” Jude asked, looking at him in disbelief. 

“Oh right,” Bobby continued. “Well, Gary obviously picked Chelsea because he fancies the pants off her—” 

He was cut short again as Lottie shoved past him and loudly dropped the dirty dishes she was carrying into the sink. 

“Careful, Lottie!” Bobby gasped, checking for any damage. He didn’t seem to notice the glare Lottie directed at the back of his head. 

“Err, right,” Jude said awkwardly. “Well, um, thanks for the pancakes. I’m gonna go see what everyone’s up to.” She took her mug and scampered off. Even as she walked away, she could hear Lottie’s hissing voice. _She’s gonna be in a mood all day. I’m not dealing with that,_ Jude thought, irritation rising up inside her. 

_‘I think this has worked out really well’?_ She thought. _‘Everyone else is matched up perfectly’? God, he can be so thick sometimes._

The past two days had been a nightmare. First coming back from Casa Amor to find herself pied off for a girl who looked like a five-amd-dime version of herself and had the personality of a rubbish bin. Then finding out it was all because that snake Noah had seen a two-second clip of her and Kassam during the Casa challenge and assumed she was going to recouple. He didn’t even like Blake, as Chelsea had found out from Blake herself that he’d only switched to keep himself safe. 

“I’m sorry it’s worked out this way,” he’d told her the night of the big dumping, finding her alone on the roof terrace after everyone had gone to sleep. His eyes dripped with a sorrow that made Jude’s stomach lurch. “If I knew it would play out this way, I never would have made the same choice. You have to believe me.”

Jude was disgusted. Every word that came out of his mouth made her want to vomit. _How can he sit here and say these things, after everything he’s done?_ She thought with revulsion.

“Fuck you, Noah,” she snarled, curling her upper lip. He reared back like he’d been slapped. “If you thought some sweet words and puppy eyes would lure me back into being your side-chick, you are sorely mistaken. I’m through being some sort of game you play while you and Hope rub your ‘fairytale’ romance in everyone’s face.” 

“You know it’s not like that,” he said, his voice strained. “I like you, I do. But Hope is…” 

“A manipulative bitch who’s got you on an emotional leash?" Jude shot back. "Yeah, I agree. I’d hoped that after she broke up with you and humiliated you in front of everyone the way she did, you’d finally see through the bullshit and realize you deserve better. But you’re still the cowardly bellend you were before Casa. I don’t know why I thought that would change.” 

Noah’s chin trembled. “There’s no need to be so vicious." 

“I disagree,” Jude said, her voice hard. “After I had to endure half the Villa calling me a homewrecker for kissing you – because let’s not forget that’s the story you went with, even though you know full well you kissed me back, after I broke up with Lucas over that measly little snog, after I had to sit there day after day and take all the jabs directed my way for ‘breaking up’ the star couple, after I went to Casa and stayed loyal to you even after seeing the video of you kissing Blake because I _trusted you_ , what do I get? You running back into Hope’s arms telling her that she’s too important for a ‘little misunderstanding’ to get between you. As if that’s all I ever was. _A little fucking misunderstanding,_ ” she sneered. “So tell me, Noah, am I not meant to be fucking pissed off after all of that? Am I meant to just stand there and smile and cheer for you, and carry on being your back-up plan in case it doesn’t work out with Hope again? Is that what you want?”

“N-No,” he murmured, lowering his eyes. 

“Then what do you want, Noah?” Jude demanded. 

“I… I don’t know.”

“Well, then, figure it out,” Jude declared. “But don’t bother coming to me when you do, because I won’t be waiting for you. I’m done, Noah. Whatever this was between us, it’s over.” And she’d walked away, leaving Noah behind with his head in his hands. 

Despite the awkwardness of the confrontation, Jude had felt a lightness settle over her. She hadn’t felt this free in a long time – in fact, ever since the day of Operation Nope, when she’d impulsively kissed Noah and absolutely everything had gone to shit. Jude hadn’t even realized how much weight she’d been carrying with her, how much stress she’d been under with everyone hating her guts for playing the same game they were. _What a lot of hypocrites,_ she thought with disgust. _The only one who’s always had my back is Bobby._

Jude’s thoughts snapped back to the present. She ran a hand through her hair, grunting in frustration as her fingers got caught in a tangle. She’d skipped straightening her hair that morning in favour of a lie-in, too exhausted to spend an hour in front of the mirror. Now she kind of regretted the choice as she struggled to pry her fingers free of the mass of curls. But she really couldn’t be bothered to put in effort to look good after how exhausting the last few days had been. _Didn’t Bobby say he liked the natural look anyway?_ She thought distractedly, and her cheeks pinkened a little when she realized where her thoughts had drifted. 

Bobby. Yes, the last two days had been confusing for Jude, and not only because of Noah. Ever since that night in the bathroom, she’d tried to figure out what it all meant. At first, she’d tried to pass it off as a moment of weakness. _He was nice to me when I was falling apart, and I’m sexually frustrated and he’s here and he’s my best friend,_ Jude had tried to reason with herself while she’d done her makeup after her crying fit. Then she’d gone outside and hugged him, and something had stirred in her again. 

Then she’d told him about her mother. 

Jude didn’t even know why. She hated talking about her mother. She hated the looks of pity on everyone’s faces when she told them. She hated the insincere condolences everyone gave her, when they knew nothing of her or her mother. But Bobby had looked at her with those soft golden eyes, and it had just come tumbling out of her mouth before she could even stop herself. And when he’d said he was sorry, it had felt different than all the others. He hadn’t pitied her. He was just sorry she was hurting. _No, fuck that, not crying a second time in one night,_ she’d thought to herself, and swiftly changed the subject.

She could still recall the feeling of his hand in hers when he’d pulled her up. Could still remember the look in his melted-gold eyes as they stared at each other while time seemed to stand still. Could still remember the warmth spreading in her abdomen. And Jude had realized that something had definitely changed between them.

_But now…_

Jude groaned and ran a hand over her face. _What the fuck does he mean, ‘everyone else is perfectly matched up’? Didn’t we talk about me not wanting to be with Elijah literally last night? And surely he knows that Lottie would rather be with Gary._ She paused. _Maybe he fancies Lottie?_ Jude wondered, her eyebrows knotting together. _When Hope goes back to Noah, that would leave him and Lottie free to pair up… Is that why he chose to save Hope? So he’d be free to be with Lottie once Noah is out of the picture?_

The thought gave Jude a headache. Bobby and Lottie. It wasn’t so outlandish a possibility. They were very close, almost as close as he was with Jude. It had never bothered her much – even though she wasn’t really friends with Lottie, they had been cool with each other after they’d smoothed out the rough patches of their first couple of days in the Villa. But, for some reason, the thought of Lottie and Bobby being _together_ together made Jude queasy. Not bothered, exactly, but... 

_Jealous,_ she realized with a certain discomfort. She’d never considered herself the jealous type. So why was she jealous of a hypothetical Lottie-Bobby pairing? 

_Argh,_ she thought in frustration. _Enough, Jude. You’ll drive yourself crazy._ She shook her head and looked around the Villa. In the gym area, Gary and Graham seemed to be having some sort of contest going on, as they took turns piling on weights onto the barbell and doing reps until they were red in the face. _Someone’s going to end up in a stretcher,_ Jude thought, smirking a little. Downing the rest of her tea, she got up and headed for the gym. 

“What’s going on here?” She called as she got closer. “I’m not interrupting some sort of iron-man challenge, am I?” 

“Jude!” Ibrahim greeted her with a smile. She couldn’t help but grin back. Rahim’s smile was contagious. It made him look like a little kid and softened his usually stern face. It was Jude’s favourite feature of his.

“You’re just in time to watch a fully-grown man do himself a mischief,” Gary smirked, looking at Graham as he loaded a ridiculous weight onto the barbell. 

“But first, you get to watch me effortlessly bench this,” Graham shot back, straddling the bench and raising his arms. Ibrahim stood above him with his hands out, ready to spot him.

Graham grabbed the barbell and lowered it slowly to his chest, before raising it back up, huffing and puffing. He repeated the process a few times, straining more and more with each rep, until he set the barbell back in its support with Ibrahim’s help. “See? Child’s play,” he declared, sitting up with a big smile on his face. 

Gary rolled his eyes. “Well, you are a big kid…” He started heading for more weight, but Ibrahim stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“Come on guys, this is getting old,” Rahim said. “Jude, have you come here to lift?” 

Jude shook her head. “I think I’ll leave it to you guys this morning. I’m too full of pancakes,” she said, rubbing her stomach for emphasis. 

Graham nodded. “Wise call.”

“Jude would know, she’s a pro,” Ibrahim grinned. “You should watch her lift sometime, Graham. Great form.” 

She winked. “You’ve got a great form yourself, Rahim.” 

The golfer blushed. 

Gary laughed. “Woah, steady on, tiger! We’ve been recoupled for all of five minutes and you’re cracking on already?” 

Jude scoffed. “It’s not a crime to give your mate a compliment, is it? Besides, I haven’t exactly made it a secret that Elijah and I aren’t the next big romance in here. What am I meant to do?” 

“Well, in that case, you should know that I’m happy with Shannon,” Ibrahim said tentatively. “And I… I don’t really like you that way anymore.”

Jude patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, babe. I promise I wasn’t grafting on you. I do like Shannon, and you two are good together.” Rahim visibly relaxed. “Besides, I have my eye on someone else.” 

Graham looked at her suspiciously. “Who?” 

_So he wasn’t as oblivious to Marisol and me in Casa as I thought he was,_ Jude thought, smirking. _Good to know._

“A boy.” 

Gary arched an eyebrow. “That’s vague.” 

“What, you thought I was just gonna come out and say it?” Jude laughed. “Gotta keep you lads on your toes somehow.” She winked and tapped the side of her nose. 

Gary chuckled. “You're fucking shameless,” he declared. “Anyway, if you’re not gonna take the barbell, it’s my turn. Add 20 pounds, Rahim.” 

Ibrahim looked at him with worry. “Are you sure?” 

Gary shot him a look. “I know what I can handle. Just add the weight.” 

Jude rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll leave you to your peacocking contest. Don’t hurt yourselves,” she warned as Gary and Graham started protesting. “We wouldn’t want one of you to leave the Villa in an ambulance.” She hopped off the stack of mats she’d been sitting on and waved as she walked off. Spotting Chelsea and Shannon by the pool with Elijah, she casually strolled over and sat. 

“Hey guys! What’s up?” 

“Chelsea was just telling us about her passion for tiny food,” Elijah said, chuckling. “Apparently, it tastes better when it’s small.” 

“It does!” Chelsea insisted. “And it looks so cute too! Mini pancakes, open-faced sandwiches, bite-sized bagels…” She sighed dreamily. “Case in point, carrots. Normally hideous, but turn them into baby carrots and suddenly – adorbs!” 

“It’s not about how it looks, it’s about satisfaction,” Shannon said. “I just can’t see myself being satisfied by a meal when it’s one bite. When I pay for food, I pay to not be hungry anymore, not for a teaser.” 

“Jude, back me up!” Chelsea said, turning to her friend. “What would be your ideal tiny meal?” 

In principle, Jude agreed with Shannon. For her, it was the bigger, the better. But she decided to humour Chelsea. She didn’t feel like shitting all over her friend’s hobby, and Chelsea was so endearing about it. 

“Hmm…” Jude pondered, a finger to her lips. “I think it’d have to be a roast dinner.” 

Chelsea’s face lit up. “Oh em gee, just imagine it! Some mashed potatoes, with a tiny piece of roast chicken and peas, and the gravy on top! It'd be so lush!” She squealed. Shannon rolled her eyes.

Elijah got up with a grunt. “Right, all this talk of food's made be a bit peckish,” he said, stretching his arms over his head before grabbing his bottle from the grass where he’d been sitting. “I'm going to fix myself a snack.” 

“Bonus points if it's a tiny version of a regular snack!” Chelsea said. Elijah laughed and headed off to the kitchen. 

“Good, now that he’s gone, we can continue our earlier chat,” Chelsea said, dropping her voice and leaning in conspiratorially. 

“About not being in the right couples?” Shannon asked. Chelsea nodded vigorously. 

“I like Gary, you know, but like you like neon lights,” she pouted. They're nice in your kitchen, but not in your bedroom. This recoupling really messed things up…” She sighed grumpily. 

“Oh, hun, I know you want to be with Elijah, but you’ve just got to be patient,” Jude said, winding an arm around her friend’s waist. Chelsea leaned her head against her shoulder. “At the next recoupling, he’s all yours.” 

“Thanks babe,” Chelsea said. She wrapped her arms around Jude and hugged her enthusiastically. “And thanks again for saving him. It means so much to me.” 

Jude hugged her back. “It wasn't even a choice, hun. You’ve been such a massive support to me over the last few days. I’m just happy I could return the favour and help you out.” 

“You two are real cute,” Shannon said.

“Hah,” Jude snorted. “I don’t think anyone’s ever called me that. Speaking of cute though…” She grinned mischievously. “I was just talking to the boys and Rahim was telling us how happy he was being coupled up with you.”

The corner of Shannon’s mouth turned up very slightly. “He really said that?” she said, sounding pleased. 

“Yeah,” Jude nodded. “I’m glad you guys are together. He deserves a bit of happiness, after everything he’s been through in here.” She really did like Shannon. 

Despite her initial reserve about the new girls, Shannon had turned out to be a cool chick. She was laid-back, had a good head on her shoulders, and understood that all of this was a game. Ibrahim needed someone like her in his life to tell it to him straight. 

Shannon looked at Jude, amused. “You know, you’re far from the cold-hearted bitch you want everyone to believe you are.” 

Chelsea wrapped her arms around her and gave her an enthusiastic jostle. “Right? Jude’s a big softie, really!”

Jude rolled her eyes, but a smile tinged her lips. “I wouldn’t go that far.” 

“Anyway,” Chelsea said, letting go of her. “If you’re not into Elijah, who’d you rather be with?” 

Jude’s cheeks warmed. “Um, well, there is someone I fancy.”

Shannon leaned forward, her interest peaked.

Chelsea squealed. “OH. EM. GEE. Spill the tea! Spill it now!” 

“No way,” Jude protested. “Not if you’re going to run and tell them straight away.” 

“Babe, I would never!” Chelsea said, crossing her heart. “Pinky swear!” 

Jude looked at Chelsea suspiciously. As much as she loved her, the girl had no filter whatsoever. Even if she promised, there was a high chance she’d spill the beans, even if just by accident. And secrets never tended to stay secrets in the Villa anyway, since there was no other way to pass the time than gossiping about who fancied who and who cracked on with who. _Should I be telling this to her so early, anyway?_ Jude wondered. _I haven’t even properly figured out my feelings for Bobby yet. If this gets back to him and he doesn’t feel the same, this could ruin our friendship._ But Chelsea was making those kitten eyes at Jude, the ones she could never resist.

“Fine,” Jude finally caved. “But you have to swear this stays between us. I can’t have the whole Villa knowing before I’ve even fully figured out what to do about this situation.” 

“Babes, I swear on… on… on the colour pink that I won’t say anything!” Chelsea said, putting her pinky up solemnly. Jude hooked her little finger through Chelsea's. 

“You too, Shannon,” Jude said, turning to the new girl. 

“I’m a vault,” Shannon confirmed.

Jude sighed. “So…” she began hesitantly. “I might… Maybe… Fancy Bobby a little bit.” _A lotta bit, but same difference._

As soon as she said it, Jude felt like burying her face in her hands as she tried not to blush. It was a relief to finally admit her feelings out loud, like it somehow made them official. Real. And she knew that in a way, it kind of did. With all those cameras on her, it was basically like she was announcing it to the whole world.

Chelsea’s mouth dropped open. “Bobby?!” 

Jude prepared herself for the incredulity. _But he’s your best friend! I didn’t know you felt like that! He likes Lottie!_

Instead, Chelsea turned towards Shannon. “Is she telling the truth?” 

Shannon pushed down her sunglasses and scanned Jude’s face. “She’s either got the best poker face I’ve ever seen or she’s telling the truth.”

Jude gave Shannon a confused look. “How would she know if I’m telling the truth?” 

“It’s her superpower, babes,” Chelsea said. “She can always tell when people are lying!”

“I can identify microexpressions,” Shannon corrected. “It’s something I’ve picked up through playing poker. Most people have ticks and tells that give them away when they’re bluffing, you just have to know what to pay attention to. I could give you some pointers, if you’d like?” 

Jude shrugged. “Sure, why not? Could come in handy.” 

“I need the bog!” Chelsea suddenly announced. “I’ll be right back!” 

Before Jude or Shannon could say anything, she sprang up and dashed towards the Villa. They stared after her in confusion.

"That's... Chelsea," Jude chuckled, shaking her head. “Anyway,” she said, turning to Shannon. “Can we find some shade? My bum’s starting to burn.” 

* * *

Bobby was headed to the bathroom when he ran into Chelsea. Or, more accurately, when Chelsea ran into him. 

“Ouch!” He winced as she collided into his ribs. 

“Oh em gee, I’m sorry Bobby!” She gasped. “I just need to wee so bad I wasn’t even looking where I was going and I totally didn’t see you, or else I would have stopped. Do you need the loo, like, now, because I really, really need–” 

“Chels,” he interrupted her, “it’s fine. Go on.” He motioned for her to go, and she practically threw herself into the bathroom. 

“Thank you!” She yelled, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Bobby leaned on the wall next to the bathroom, waiting for his turn. 

This morning was turning out so weird. First, he’d woken up to Hope practically pushing him out of their shared bed, despite the wall of pillows he’d built to keep her comfortable. Bobby didn’t fancy sleeping outside and giving it up to her entirely; it was his bed after all, had been since day one, and Hope was only a temporary addition. He knew it wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do, but Hope already took up too much space and attention in the Villa as it was, Bobby wasn’t about to let her kick him out of his own bed. If she hated sharing with him that much, she and Noah could move to the daybeds and cuddle instead of sleeping fully-dressed like weirdos.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Lottie had chewed him out over an innocent joke at breakfast. 

“Are you fucking dense?” She’d hissed at him. 

Bobby had rolled his eyes. “Calm it, I was just joking.” 

“I don’t see what’s so funny about it,” she’d glowered. “When you say things like that, it’s like you don’t care about my feelings at all.” 

Bobby didn’t understand. He’d thought the joke was simply a sarcastic take on what had clearly been a mess of a recoupling. More than half the couples were still scrambled, and pretty much everyone could see that. But Lottie clearly hadn’t heard the sarcasm. _Maybe Henrik was right,_ Bobby thought, sighing. _Sarcasm is hard._

Even Jude, the queen of wit, had seemed thrown off by his comment. She’d almost choked on her pancakes, and then she’d run off, looking awkward. And Jude never got awkward around him. 

Bobby wished he knew what went on in her head. She’d been acting really strange lately. Between holding his hand last night, and then avoiding him all morning, his head was spinning a little. He’d managed to catch her at breakfast, but even then the vibe between them wasn’t the easy banter he was used to. He wondered if she still felt embarrassed about crying over Noah. 

Bobby bit at his fingernail. Maybe she’d finally had that talk with Noah and he’d explained everything and they were going to get back together. His heart sank at the idea. _She deserves better than that,_ he thought, and the fierceness of the thought surprised even him. He got along with Noah just fine before, but what he’d done to Jude didn’t sit well with Bobby. Stringing her along, kissing her and taking none of the blame for it, then coupling up with her as a back-up choice before mugging her off the second he got the chance. It infuriated Bobby. 

_No,_ he decided, shaking his head. _Jude knows she’s better than that. She wouldn’t go back. She said she was over it._ But no matter what he told himself, that little parcel of doubt was still there. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the bathroom door swinging open. Chelsea stepped out, sighing deeply. “Much better.”

Bobby chuckled. “Glad to hear it.” He made to push past Chelsea, but she grabbed his arm. 

“Oh Bobby, I’m actually so glad to catch you,” Chelsea babbled. “It feels like _for-ever_ since we’ve had a good chat. How are you doing? I’m doing really good,” she said, her mouth going a million miles an hour. Bobby didn’t even have the chance to get a word in. “I mean, obviously I'm a bit bummed about Elijah, but we can’t always get what we want right away, can we? Good things come to those who wait and all that! And we can pick each other at the next recoupling… Unless he, like, falls in love with Jude or something, but I think that the next recoupling might be girls’ choice finally, and I don’t think that she’d pick him, not when she said she wanted to be with you instead, and–” 

Bobby nearly had an aneurysm. “Hold up, Jude said what?” 

“She said –” Chelsea clasped her hands over her mouth and widened her eyes. “Oh sugar! I wasn’t supposed to say anything about that! I pinky swore and everything!” She looked at Bobby with worry. “Can you pretend you didn’t hear anything?” 

“Um, no!” Bobby said, his pulse beating in his temples. “Jude really said she’d rather be with me?” He asked in disbelief.

Chelsea sighed. “Fine, since the hamster’s out of the bag… We were talking about our couples outside just now and Jude mentioned she fancied you. Oh em gee, you should have seen her, she was blushing and everything!” She squealed. “So adorbs!” 

Bobby blinked. “Woah,” he breathed, incapable of saying much else over the shock.

“I know!” Chelsea squealed again. “You guys will be such a cute couple! You like her too, right? I remember you saying so early on, and then you had that kiss in the kissing challenge, but then she was too scared to go for it at the firepit, and–” 

“Wait what?” 

“Oh, she totally wanted to kiss you at the firepit, she said so in the Beach Hut, but then she didn’t want to do it behind Rahim’s back – you know, she was still coupled up with him back then – and also she said she was scared of what it might mean if she kissed you because—" Chelsea slapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh, I forgot I wasn’t supposed to talk about what I saw on the show before I got on!” She looked up at the ceiling, like she was worried production might zap her on the spot like Zeus with a lightning bolt. “I’m sorry! I’m zipping lip, I promise!” 

Bobby’s head spun. _All this time..._ He remembered everything Chelsea talked about, of course. His and Jude’s early flirtations, back when he’d thought he actually had a shot with her. Then, as the game had progressed and she hadn’t made a move, going instead for Ibrahim and then Lucas and then Noah, Bobby had taken the hint and shoved his feelings deep inside. Jude was a flirt, he was a flirt, so he’d assumed she’d thought it was just flirty banter between two mates. He’d settled into being her friend, even though it had crushed his soul. But now... Now Chelsea was telling him he might have a shot. Elation bubbled inside him. 

“Bobby!” 

He was drawn out of his daydreaming by Chelsea’s fingers snapping under his nose. “Huh?” 

Chelsea giggled. “You’ve been staring into space for a good minute. What were you thinking about?” 

“Umm…” 

“Never mind, I can guess,” Chelsea giggled again and winked at him. Bobby’s cheeks flushed pink. “OK, look,” she said, her voice serious. “Can you not tell Jude I said anything? I pinky swore not to say anything, and you know me babe, I really tried, but it just kind of slipped out without meaning to! And if she finds out she’s going to be really cross and I don’t want Jude to be cross with me, you know, because she’s my bestie and then she wouldn’t tell me stuff anymore if she thought I would just run around and tell people!”

Bobby took Chelsea’s hands, which had started flailing around. “I won’t say you said anything Chels,” he swore, giving her his pinky. Chelsea let out a sigh of relief and took it. “But thank you so much for slipping.” 

Chelsea giggled. “Go get her, tiger.” She winked and bounced down the corridor. 

Bobby went about his business in the bathroom as fast as he could, with one thought on his mind the entire time: _I need to talk to Jude._

Lucky for him, he found her pretty much instantly when he walked into the kitchen, where she was busy filling up her water bottle. She had her back to him, so he took a second to try to school his features into nonchalance, and failing miserably as his lips kept quirking up into a grin. 

He cleared his throat. Jude whipped around, her hair bouncing around her head, and he noticed for the first time that she’d let her natural curls free that morning. _Wow._ He grinned even wider. 

“Oh, hey!” Jude said, smiling at him. 

“Hey,” he said, swaggering into the kitchen, trying to play it cool. _I know, I know, I know,_ the voice in his head chanted.

“What’s up?” Jude asked, her smile wavering, and her eyebrows twitching slightly. Bobby looked away from her. 

“Nothing. Everything’s cool. What’s up with you?”

“Right,” Jude sighed. “I know something’s up, because you haven’t made a single comment about how I look like a poodle. Spill.” 

Bobby snorted. _A poodle._ “Alright, fine. I can’t do this. I know.” 

Jude stared at him in confusion. “What do you know?”

“That someone might have a little crush on me.”

Jude’s face instantly went firetruck red. “Dammit, Chelsea,” she muttered. "Five minutes!" 

Bobby’s heart sped up. He looked around. Just beyond the kitchen, on the day beds, Hope and Noah were relaxing together, entangled in each other's limbs. “Look, can we talk somewhere private? Maybe the terrace?” He suggested. 

Jude nodded, but her eyes were firmly planted on the ground. So Bobby took the lead, taking the stairs up to the second floor, and through the dressing room to the terrace. Every few steps, he risked a glance behind him, making sure Jude was following, his pulse pounding a little harder every time he found her still there. 

On the roof, the air was a little cooler than in the garden, a pleasant breeze sweeping past them. Bobby took a seat on the white cushioned benches, propping a pillow behind him. Jude settled next to him, close enough for her knees to lightly brush against his. His skin tingled at the contact. She stayed quiet, staring down at her lap.

“So it’s true, then? Chels wasn’t messing with me?” Bobby started, breaking the silence. 

Jude’s cheeks reddened again. “Well, Chelsea wasn’t supposed to say anything, but... yes, it’s true.” Bobby fought down a grin as his heart soared. She looked up, her hazel eyes boring into his. “Were you surprised?” 

“Yes,” he admitted. “But not totally shocked. I mean, I knew you’d eventually crack under the pressure of all this man-cake,” he joked, flexing his bicep. 

Jude huffed. “Oh, fuck off. I can't stand you,” she declared and made to leave, but Bobby grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. “Here I am pouring my heart out like some lovesick thirteen-year-old and you’re making jokes about man-cake.” Her face flushed as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Bobby’s expression turned serious. “I’m only joking cos I’m so nervous,” he said, and Jude looked back up at him. “I mean, it’s not every day the girl you’ve been secretly crushing on for three weeks says she likes you too.” 

Jude’s eyes widened. “Three weeks?!” 

Bobby rolled his eyes, but his cheeks reddened a bit. “And you call me oblivious. Literally everyone had it figured out by, like, day three. I kind of thought you liked me too, at first, but then, like, everything happened, and, well…” He trailed off. 

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Jude said quietly. She looked distraught. Bobby thought she was about to come out and say something deep and romantic like in those romcoms his sister liked, and then— “Fuck. I’m a moron.” 

Bobby laughed. “Aye, sometimes you are.” 

Jude gave him a stern look, which only made him laugh harder. Once he stopped, everything was quiet for a moment. 

“So…” Jude started hesitantly. “Where do we go from here?” 

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, it’s a tricky situation. We’re both in couples, and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes—” 

Jude scoffed. “Whose toes are we speaking of here? Hope’s? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m pretty sure she’s set on Noah. Don’t worry about her toes.” 

Bobby flicked her arm. “Oi, how dare you! And here I thought I was winning her over with pancakes and my million-pound smile.” He flashed her a grin and Jude rolled her eyes. His face turned serious again. “Anyway, what I meant was, I wouldn’t feel right cracking on behind our partners’ backs. It’s too much like what Rocco did, and you saw where that got him. Just… It’s the principle of the thing.” 

Jude grimaced. “Yeah, I get that.” She looked into the distance, going quiet. The sound of splashing and laughter drifted up from below. Bobby started worrying Jude might be rethinking everything, when she turned back towards him. She took a hold of Bobby’s hand and looked straight into his eyes. “We don’t have to rush anything. But I know what I want.” Her voice was quiet, but her gaze was determined and earnest. 

Bobby fought down a smile. _Is this really happening?_ Some part of his brain was wondering through the buzzing in his head. He wanted to pinch himself. “I’d like that.” 

Jude smiled softly, a smile he’d rarely seen on her lips. One she reserved for the special moments. One he’d only seen one other time, on the night she’d sat with him under the stars at the firepit. When he’d almost kissed her. _We’re both morons._

“Right,” Bobby said, springing out of his seat, his hand slipping out of Jude’s. He instantly missed the warmth of it. “I think I need a dip. I wasn’t expecting this today…” 

“Neither was I,” Jude muttered. “Flipping Chelsea…” 

“Thank God for her big mouth,” Bobby chuckled. “Anyway, you coming?” 

Jude nodded and got up. As they walked off the roof terrace, she quietly reached for Bobby’s hand again and wove her fingers through his. Bobby grinned as he practically floated down the stairs, determined never to let go again.


	4. Getting Better All The Time

“Everyone understand the rules?” Marisol asked, and the Islanders all cheered. “Okay then! Chalk at the ready!” 

Of course, half an hour later, and Bobby had already broken his resolution. As soon as they’d stepped into the garden, Gary had received a text that announced the couples would be competing in a Mr. and Mrs. Quiz, and that they had thirty minutes to get talking with their partner. Elijah had immediately grabbed Jude and pulled her away, the two of them firing questions at each other faster than Chelsea could pop open a bottle of bubbly.

Bobby grinned. He knew Jude was competitive, and it seemed like she'd met her match in Elijah. Friendship couple or not, they were going for the gold. 

Hope had reluctantly made her way over to Bobby and had started prattling on about her life, not letting him get a word in edgewise. Bobby had wanted to point out in that a quiz like this, the knowledge had to go both ways, but decided not to bring it up. It’s not like they had a chance at winning anyway, and he really wasn’t that bothered to help Hope win anything. That hadn’t stopped him from annoying her with his theatrics. She’d been particularly irritated with the staring contest ( _‘to really get in each other’s heads’_ ) and the couple names he’d made up for them ( _‘Bope’_ and _‘Hobby’_ ), which had made him cackle and her scowl. _God, I love winding her up._

“Alright, first question,” Marisol announced. “Boys, what did your partner want to be when she grew up?” 

Everyone started furiously scribbling. Unfortunately, in all the babbling she had done, this was not one of the pieces of information Hope had bequeathed upon him, so Bobby put the first thing that came to mind: mime. _Maybe then we’d finally have some peace and quiet._

“Elijah, you’re up first!” Graham said. “What did Jude want to be when she grew up?”

Elijah scratched his beard. “Err, I had no idea, so I put model,” he said, flipping his board.

Bobby snickered. _Jude, a model? Please, she’d flip her shit, like, instantly._

Jude rolled her eyes. “What a charmer.” She flipped her board, revealing ‘MUSICIAN’ written in a neat script. “I play drums for a living. So, obviously.”

“Sorry, that answer doesn’t match. No points for you,” Marisol said apologetically. 

“Sorry babe,” Elijah grumbled. 

Jude elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “It’s fine. That was our warm-up. Next round we’re smashing it!”

Elijah perked up. “Hell yeah!”

“Anyway,” Graham said. “Gary, your turn. What did Chelsea dream of being when she was younger?” 

“Erm, because she’s always happy and sunshiny, I put…” He turned his board to reveal some hastily scrawled words. 

Marisol squinted. “What does that say?”

“Weather reporter!” Gary yelled indignantly. The girls burst out laughing. Chelsea gasped and flipped her board, revealing a script even more unintelligible than Gary’s.

“Show jumper! I wanted to be a show jumper!” Chelsea scrunched her nose. “Who wants to grow up to be a weather reporter? We hate weather reporters!” 

That one confused Bobby, but he didn’t have time to ask Chelsea what she meant by that.

“Hope wanted to be a weather reporter,” Noah said quietly, turning his board. Everyone whipped their head towards Hope.

“Erm… Yeah.” She turned her board to show her answer. 

Lottie jabbed Noah in the ribs. “Oi! Quit helping the competition. You’re meant to be answering for me, remember?”

“Disqualify him!” Jude cried. Hope shot her a look. 

“Um, I think you might be taking this a little bit too seriously, Jude,” Noah said awkwardly. Jude only crossed her arms and grumbled under her breath. 

“Well, I got it wrong,” Bobby jumped in, turning over his board. “I put mime.” 

Hope frowned at him, but Bobby ignored her as Marisol prompted the remaining teams for their answers. Shannon and Rahim were the only ones who ended up scoring. 

“Anyway,” Marisol said, marking the scoreboard. “Ladies, over to you: where did your partner have their first kiss?” 

Bobby grimaced. He hated that story. He’d been quite a late bloomer, not having his first kiss until he was nearly out of school, at a party. He’d been so drunk that night he could barely even remember it, which had greatly disappointed the girl, who it turned out had liked him for some time. He was always embarrassed when he told the story to other people. 

Unsurprisingly, Hope got the answer wrong. She’d put ‘in the kitchen,’ which had made Bobby roll his eyes. 

Lottie got Noah’s correct, guessing that his first kiss had happened in a library. _Figures,_ Bobby thought. 

Jude and Elijah were up next. Jude confidently flipped her board, which read ‘BIKE SHEDS.’ 

“Elijah’s definitely a quickie behind the bike sheds type of guy,” she said.

Elijah smirked and turned his board. “Read it and weep. Bike sheds at school!” 

Jude whooped and gave him a high-five. She grinned and looked around the circle, her eyes briefly locking with Bobby’s as the game resumed.

Rahim and Shannon marked another point, while Gary and Chelsea remained at a disappointing zero. 

The next few rounds passed in a blur. Bobby and Hope managed to score two points, but Ibrahim and Shannon were smoking everybody, with Jude and Elijah hot on their heels. The rest of them were trailing far behind, with Chelsea and Gary in a distant last. Chelsea’s mood had dampened considerably, and she was staring blankly at the empty firepit in front of them. Bobby wanted to reach over and give her a hug, but Gary beat him to it, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving her an encouraging squeeze. Chelsea smiled feebly back.

 _Yes, Gaz, be a supportive partner,_ Bobby thought, almost bursting with pride, until he noticed Lottie scowling at the other end of the circle.

“Alright girls, next question,” Graham declared. “If your partner could only eat one food for the rest of their life, what would it be?”

They all quickly wrote their answers down.

“Chelsea you’re up first,” Graham said. “What’s Gary’s meal for life?” 

Chelsea heaved a defeated sigh as she turned her board. “I gave up and put down his nan’s roast dinner.” 

Gary practically jumped five feet in the air as he pumped his fist. “Yes mate, get in! That’s exactly what it is!” 

Chelsea stared at him, gobsmacked, before letting out a piercing squeal. Marisol clapped her hands to her ears. “Oh em gee I can’t believe it! I got it right! We finally got one right! Put it on the board Graham. Do it now!” 

Graham ran to the scoreboard and traced a single line in Chelsea and Gary’s column. “Everyone welcome Chels and Gary to the game!” The Islanders whooped and cheered as Chelsea and Gary bowed, laughing enthusiastically. 

“Alright,” Marisol said, putting her hands up to signal them to simmer down. “Jude, it’s up to you. What meal can Elijah not live without?” 

Jude flipped her board. “He’d wither away without his protein shake.”

Elijah grinned. “She knows me so well,” he said, revealing his matching answer. “I wouldn’t want to lose muscle mass, I put in too much work.” 

Bobby rolled his eyes. _His favourite meal’s a bloody protein shake? Yeah, no thanks._ Bobby liked his carbs, his lipids and his sugars, and his protein in solid form.

“Hope,” Marisol announced, snapping Bobby’s attention back to the game. “Your turn.”

“Hope, my light, my love,” Bobby yelled dramatically. “What’s my favourite food?”

“Easy,” Hope smirked confidently as she flipped her board. “Cake.” 

“Nooooooo,” Bobby moaned, grabbing at his chest like he’d been wounded.

Hope’s face fell. “You’re kidding me, right? It has to be cake!” 

Bobby heard Jude snicker somewhere on his right. “It’s good,” he agreed, “but it’s no spaghetti hoops on toast.” 

Ibrahim looked at him blankly. “Are you nine years old? No one eats that anymore.” 

Bobby felt himself tense up, the way he always did when someone pointed out something he did or said was childish. 

“Aw, I think it’s sweet,” Chelsea cooed, coming to his defense. Bobby smiled at her appreciatively. “It reminds you of home, right?”

“It reminds me of being a kid,” he said. “If I wanted food that reminds me of home, it would have to be some sort of Scottish-Jamaican fusion. Actually, I’ve been playing with a recipe for jerk haggis for a few years. I reckon I’ve almost got it perfected.” 

The girls looked aghast. 

“Jerk… Haggis?!” Hope gasped, wrinkling her nose. 

“I hope it doesn’t mean what it sounds like,” Lottie said, making a gagging sound. 

“What does it sound like?” Chelsea asked innocently. 

Bobby chuckled. _Oh you sweet summer child._ “Get yer minds out of the gutter,” he drawled. “Jerk’s a type of seasoning. In Jamaica we put it on everything, because it works with everything, my mum always says. And haggis is every type of meat.” 

“Isn’t haggis just the stomachs, though?” Hope asked, looking greener by the second. 

“Your mum’s Jamaican?” Jude asked quietly, her eyes wide. Bobby arched his eyebrows and nodded. “So was mine.” 

The Islanders immediately went quiet as they realized what Jude had let slip. They all looked at each other awkwardly. Jude looked down, not meeting anyone’s eye, her shoulders tensing.

 _Fuck,_ Bobby thought. _I don’t think she meant to say that in front of everyone. Redirect, redirect, redirect._

“You can back me up then,” Bobby said, bringing the attention back to his cooking. “Jerk goes on everything, right? Even haggis!” 

Jude gave him a relieved look and chuckled. “Yes. Yes it does, but—” 

Bobby jumped and fist-pumped. “See!” 

Jude held up a finger. “But jerk haggis might be a leap of faith even for the most adventurous of eaters.” 

Bobby pouted. “Have I ever steered your taste buds wrong?” 

“This might steer them right to the A&E, Bobby,” Lottie said, still looking unconvinced. 

“Well,” Hope clapped her hands. “As fascinating as this conversation about… jerk haggis is,” she said, shuddering, “can we get back to the game?” 

The round ended with Gary and Graham facing off over the merits of their nan’s respective Sunday meals. Bobby put an end to it by asking Graham whether crabs were insects, to which Graham had replied indignantly that no, they were crustaceans. Whatever that was. 

The next round was for the boys, and they were asked what their girls’ first pet was called. Ibrahim correctly remembered Shannon’s cat, Mr. Meowgi, whose name had derived from Shannon’s childhood obsession with _The Karate Kid._

Noah was next and missed the name of Lottie’s cat, Luna. _He should have been able to guess that, honestly,_ Bobby thought. 

Bobby scored a point for team Hobby when he guessed the name of Hope’s dog, Bill, by mistake. It had been a toss up between that and Cash, but he’d decided to go with the less shady option, and had almost burst out laughing when it turned out to be right. _My subconscious must have caught on some of her prattle while I was daydreaming about Jude._

Elijah turned his board. “I know this one! A goldfish called Simba.” 

Jude smiled and turned her board, revealing ‘SIMBA THE GOLDFISH.’ 

Graham raised his eyebrows. “A goldfish?” 

Jude reached over and smacked him lightly with her board. “Shut up. The Lion King is an animated masterpiece. Besides, I thought I was getting a cat and I had already picked out the name.” 

_All I’m hearing is, she’s a Disney fan,_ Bobby thought as he laughed along with the others. 

“Almost there guys, two more questions! Marisol announced. “This one’s for the girls: Who is your partner’s celebrity crush?” 

They all scribbled down their answers, the boys looking at each others’ boards and nodding appreciatively.

“Chelsea, you’re up first,” Graham said.

“Not to toot my own horn, but seeing as Gary picked me and people say I look like her, I put…” She smiled confidently and flipped her board. “Rachel Riley.” 

Gary stared at her blankly. “Who’s that?” 

Chelsea’s face fell. “What? But… She’s on Countdown! You said you liked Countdown…” 

Gary broke into a grin. “Babe, I’m just messing with you,” he laughed, turning his board. “I put Rachel Riley.”

Chelsea beamed as she wrapped her arms around Gary’s middle, shaking him from side to side in an enthusiastic hug. Graham marked their point. 

“Lottie, you’re up,” Marisol called. 

“I put Hope. She’s on the telly.” Lottie said, revealing her board. 

Bobby rolled his eyes. _You don't need to kiss her ass, Lotts._

Hope grinned. “Aww, that’s cute, but I’m sure Noah picked an actual celeb?” 

Noah blushed. “Um, yeah. That was the question, so. I put…” He flipped. “Gillian Anderson.” 

“Who’s that?” Elijah asked. 

Hope looked put out. “The mum off Sex Education?” 

“No, from X-Files,” Noah said, looking up in surprise when Jude’s voice echoed his. She stared back at him. 

Hope’s eyes narrowed. _Uh-oh,_ Bobby thought. But before the storm brewing behind her eyes could erupt, Ibrahim interrupted. 

“You watch X-Files, Jude?” He asked, his eyes lighting up. 

Jude shrugged. 

“I didn’t see you as the type, but good to know,” Noah said with unabashed excitement.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Jude answered coldly, which warmed Bobby’s heart. He fought down a grin. 

“Okay, moving on!” Hope said loudly, bringing the attention back to the game. “Shannon, what did you put?” 

Shannon got her answer wrong, guessing Michelle Wie, who apparently was a famous golfer Bobby had never heard of, instead of Ibrahim’s actual crush, Harley Quinn. 

“But she’s a cartoon!” Shannon had argued. “It doesn’t count!” Ibrahim had blushed. Judges Graham and Marisol declared it counted, and so Shannon left the round without her point.

Next up was Hope, who grinned and flipped her board. “I put… Mary Berry!” 

Bobby groaned. “Now you're just taking the piss. I’m all about Rihanna.” 

The others stared at him in stunned silence. Bobby stared back in disbelief. “People. Rihanna!? The singer?” 

“We know who Rihanna is, Bobby,” Lottie said. Her eyes darted to Jude, who was fiddling with her chalk stick.

Bobby felt his cheeks flush. Truth was, Lottie was right. If he’d been asked that same question three weeks ago, his answer would have been Cardi B without hesitation. In recent times, however, that had changed, and it wasn’t exactly not due to the fact that the Barbadian beauty bore a striking resemblance to Jude.

“I stand by my choice,” he said. 

“Right, Priya told me about your lip synch battles!” Jude said, snapping her fingers.

Bobby grinned. “I don’t care what Priya says out there; my BBHMM was better than hers!”

“Now, that I need to see,” Lottie chuckled. 

Bobby smirked. “No chance. That’s between me, Priya and the sexiest woman in pop.”

“Well, no point for Hope and Bobby,” Marisol declared. Hope glared at him, and Bobby shrugged. _Not my fault you didn’t ask._

“Jude, you’re up,” Graham directed. “Which celeb is Elijah dreaming of?” 

Jude silently flipped her board, which read ‘TEYANA TAYLOR.’ 

Elijah’s face lit up as he turned his board. It matched. “Teyana Taylor is fierce.” 

_Of fucking course,_ Bobby thought. Although it had amused him at first, Jude and Elijah’s weird synchronicity was starting to worry him. _Is she just a good listener? Or is there something more there that she just hasn’t realized yet?_

“Okay, this is the last one, and it’s for the boys: what’s your partner’s pet peeve?”

 _Oh, easy,_ Bobby thought, quickly scribbling down the answer. Hope hated kids more than anything on the planet – even though she worked for a toy company, which made no sense to Bobby, but whatever – and loved fancy things more than anything on the planet with the possible exception of Noah, so he just combined the two and came up with ‘people who take their kids to nice restaurants’. _Piece of cake._

Shannon looked over at Jude’s board and nodded. “That’s a good one. I get it every time I join a poker game.” 

“And what do you do?” Jude asked. 

“Beat them, then offer them pointers.” Shannon smirked. Jude snickered and high-fived her. 

“We’re going to start with Elijah,” Marisol called. “What do you think Jude’s pet peeve is?” 

“Men explaining stuff. She hates it.” 

Jude grimaced as she flipped her board. “It’s called mansplaining and he’s right. It drives me up the wall.” The girls collectively nodded in agreement, even Hope.

“But what if a guy just knows more about something?” Gary asked. He shrank back a little as the girls turned as one and glared. _Scary,_ Bobby thought, shifting in his seat. _I would not want to be on the other end of that look._

“The problem isn’t them knowing more, it’s _assuming_ they know more,” Jude explained, her voice disdainful. “We’ve all been there when a self-important jerk decides to ‘teach us’ something we already know.”

“But why don’t you just tell them that you know what you’re talking about?” Ibrahim insisted. Bobby tried to send him a mental message to shut the fuck up, but Rahim didn’t seem to check his mental voicemail.

“Oh, we never thought of that!” Shannon said sarcastically. “What do you think? We do it all the time. They just ignore it.”

Ibrahim flushed. “Oh man. I did the thing, didn’t I? Sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck. 

Shannon patted his knee. “Just don’t do it again, babes.” 

Noah incorrectly guessed Lottie’s pet peeve as people picking at their teeth in public, when it was actually people posting pictures of their food on social media. It turned out Gary shared the same pet peeve, which had seemed to strangely please Lottie. Then Gary correctly guessed ‘mixing patterns’ as Chelsea’s pet peeve, so they got another point, finishing the game with a solid three-point score, which still put them in last place, but at least with some pride.

Last, Marisol called on Bobby for Hope’s pet peeve. He turned his board and waited for her reaction. 

Noah scoffed. “Nah Bobby, that’s not it. Hope loves kids.” 

Bobby stared at him in disbelief. _Mate…_

Hope cringed. She avoided Noah’s gaze as she turned her board. “Um… Yeah, Bobby nailed it.”

A stunned silence followed. Noah frowned. “I thought it was people who said ‘literally’!” 

“It’s literally kids in restaurants, mate,” Bobby said. Noah shot him a look before turning to Hope. 

“Kids don’t belong in fancy restaurants,” she declared haughtily. “I don’t want to have my meal interrupted by your crying child. Take them to a burger bar or something.”

Noah looked shocked. 

_Was he really not expecting that?_ Bobby thought. _Twenty days, and they haven’t gotten to the conversation about kids? Strongest couple, my freckled arse..._

“Well, in any case, Hope and Bobby score a point on that answer,” Graham declared, marking up the board. “Which brings us to the end of the game!” He quickly tallied up the scores. “And the winners – drumroll please…” He waited while the Islanders noisily stomped their feet on the wood decking. “By a whooping fourteen points, it’s Jude and Elijah!”

Jude and Elijah high-fived as the others all whooped and cheered. Bobby looked at them thoughtfully. In the midst of her celebration, Jude caught his eye, frowning slightly as she noticed his expression. Bobby quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to concern her with his worries. _Later. I’ll ask later._

“So, what now?” Lottie asked, but as soon as the question was out of her mouth, the sound of a _ding_ rang loudly. “Never mind.”

Jude pulled out her phone. “Congratulations Elijah and Jude! To help cool down your burning love, there’s a special treat waiting for you in the kitchen. Hashtag just desserts, hashtag ice ice baby!” 

“It’s ice lollies, I know it is,” Gary whooped.

Bobby ignored the twist in his gut at the words ‘burning love.’ “You know sharing is caring, right Jude?” He pleaded, making his best puppy dog eyes at her. 

Jude smirked. “You’ll have to beat us to the kitchen for that. Run, Elijah!” And she took off running in the direction of the kitchen, Elijah and the rest of the Islanders hot on her heels. 

* * *

Hours later, as the sun was setting over the Villa, Bobby walked into the kitchen to find Gary and Graham fighting over literal spilt milk. 

After the challenge was over, the Islanders had all helped themselves to Jude and Elijah’s ice lollies and at Graham’s suggestion, had carried on with the game, but this time a naughtier version of it. They’d discovered that Shannon had once had sex on a pool table, that Marisol’s favourite sex position was against the wall, and that Noah’s erogenous zone was his thighs, which Bobby had honestly never wanted to know. 

Bobby had only really been interested in one person’s answers, storing away the information for later use. Jude’s weirdest place was on a trampoline – which, _kinky_. She’d suggested she liked girl on top. _Not surprising,_ Bobby had thought, _given her personality. And perfect for lazy lads._ But what had well and truly shocked everyone was her number. 

“Three?!” Gary had asked in disbelief. “Only three?” 

Jude had glared at him and he’d looked away, embarrassed. “And what about it?” 

Shannon reached for Jude’s hand. “Sex is a personal thing. It takes some people more time than others to be ready for it. There’s nothing wrong with that.” 

“Yeah,” Lottie had agreed. “And none of you better have anything to say about it, or you’ll catch these hands.” She gave Jude a short nod, which she’d returned, looking confused but grateful. 

The boys had shuffled a little uncomfortably, until Graham asked the next question, and the game had carried on. It all ended when they forced Hope to reveal the time Bobby had caught her and Noah getting it on in one of the bathroom cupboards. And they’d all walked away, laughing, teasing each other, the mood light and fun. 

Which was the opposite of the scene unfolding in front of Bobby as Ibrahim put a hand on each of the boys’ shoulders, trying to keep them apart. “Just calm down, man,” he told Graham. 

“It’s Gary who needs to calm down, mate,” Graham protested. “I didn’t do diddly fuck, he just flew off the mast!” 

“You were laughing!” Gary roared, trying to charge the burly sailor. Noah stepped in and pulled Gary away. 

“Gary, come on,” Jude said from somewhere on the sidelines. “This is unfair. You can’t know it was Graham who put the milk back like that.” 

“Thank you, Jude!” Graham grinned with a flourish of his hands. “Finally, a voice of reason.”

Gary’s face turned red. “You’re kidding me, right?! It was a blatant attempt to make me look like a fool!” 

“You don’t need my help for that, mate,” Graham muttered, but Gary heard, and tried to charge him again. Noah held him back. 

“I am not your mate,” Gary growled. 

“And I wasn’t raised in a barn,” Graham growled back. “I know how to put the top back on the milk!”

“A likely story,” Gary scoffed.

“You’re so ham-fisted you probably put the milk like that yourself and forgot,” Graham said. “I’ll bet it’s you who’s been fingering all the fruit too.”

Lottie let out a strangled snort. “Who’s doing what to the fruit now?” 

“Oh come on, don’t act like you haven’t noticed,” Ibrahim said. “The fruit’s always covered in fingerprints and it’s because someone’s been aggressively fingering it!” 

“That’s probably Graham too,” Gary said disdainfully.

“Accusations!” Graham fumed. 

“Um, in Graham’s defence, I’m pretty sure the fruit thing was an issue before he got to the Villa,” Hope interjected. 

“Hope’s right, that’s probably someone else,” Ibrahim agreed, looking at Marisol accusingly. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She protested.

“Just, you spend a lot of time picking your fruit…”

Marisol narrowed her eyes. “If you’ve got something to say Rahim, just come out and say it.”

“Forget about the fruit, what about the hair in the drain?” Elijah wondered. “That shit’s always clogged, it’s disgusting!” He looked at Chelsea.

“Why did you look at me? I take hair supplements and use a serum. If anyone’s hair is clogging the drain, Elijah, it’s Lottie’s,” Chelsea quipped. Lottie shot her a glare. 

“Don’t put this on me, eyeliner thief!” 

Chelsea gasped. “I borrowed this off Shannon!” 

Bobby stared as the kitchen descended into madness, everyone accusing each other of increasingly sillier crimes. “You dropped crisps in the pool!” “You snore!” “You never put the toilet seat down!” His head started to pound, like it did when there was an argument in the kitchen back home.

 _Goddammit that’s enough._ He took off his shoe and started loudly banging on the kitchen counter. “Everyone quiet!” He shouted over the arguing, eventually catching their attention. Silence fell on the kitchen as they all turned to stare at him.

Bobby glared. “What is wrong with you all?” He demanded. “We were having an ace day, and now you’re all yelling in the kitchen?”

“But Bobby, the milk…” Gary whined. 

“It was me,” Bobby said, several gasps rising from the crowd. “I used the milk and didn’t screw the lid on properly. I’m sorry if it ruined your cuppa.”

Gary grumbled. 

“But it’s not just the milk,” Marisol said. “There are loads of little things that have been building up.”

“That’s true, but Bobby’s right,” Noah said. “Fighting isn’t going to solve anything.”

“I’m sure we can sort this out in a civilised way,” Bobby agreed.

“Who’s put you in charge?” Gary demanded.

Bobby shot him a look. “Listen pal, I’ve stopped more kitchen fights than you’ve had hot dinners.” 

Gary huffed. “And that makes you some kind of judge, does it?”

Bobby’s eyebrows shot up. _Hmm…_ “Maybe it does.”

“Well if he gets to be judge, I want to be the expert witness they call,” Marisol decided.

“I can testify in the fruit case!” Ibrahim said.

Chelsea's hand shot up in the air.“Ooh, ooh, if we’re pretending to be law people, I want to be that lady who writes everything down with the typewriter!” 

“The stenographer?” Marisol asked. 

Chelsea pointed at her. “Yes! The stenna – The steno – The typewriter lady!” 

“I don’t think we’re going to need a stenographer, Chelsea,” Noah pointed out, making the little blonde pout.

“What is this, a courtroom drama?” Graham grumbled.

“Maybe it is!” Bobby grinned. 

“I have a feeling this evening’s about to go silly,” Lottie chuckled. 

“I think Gary might end up having to build us a jail,” Jude sighed.

Gary’s face lit up. “Oh, hey, that’s not a bad idea!”

“I was joking!” 

“Order in the court!” Bobby yelled, snapping their attention back to him. “I have an idea. Reconvene at the firepit in ten minutes,” he told them, before running out of the kitchen. As he ran up the stairs, he took out his phone and pulled up the Notes app, quickly jotting the main arguments that had sparked in the kitchen that he could remember. _Fingered fruit, hair in drain, mystery panties, ghostly purring. There, that should be enough for one night._

Bobby jogged into the girls’ dressing room, heading straight for Lottie’s cubby. He’d heard her talking about the particular item of clothing he was looking for, but she’d never actually worn it yet, so it was bound to be near the bottom of – _Bingo!_

Bobby grinned triumphantly as he pulled out the thing he’d been looking for. Draping it over his shoulders, he gave himself the once over in the bay mirrors lining the cupboard. _It’s a start, but something’s missing,_ he thought. Bobby made his way downstairs and looked around the kitchen. _Aha, there we go._ He grabbed his accessories and made his way outside. 

In the garden, the Islanders were seated around the firepit, making small talk. Noah was still trying to convince Chelsea that a stenographer was not needed, but she seemed impervious to his librarian logic.

Lottie spotted Bobby first. Her jaw dropped. “Bobby, is that my cape?!” she screeched, but a grin stretched over her face. The rest of the Islanders turned. Mouths dropped open. Eyes widened. Gasps were heard. And Bobby loved every second of it. 

“Is that a tea towel on your head?” Jude giggled.

“Order!” Bobby yelled, banging his improvised gavel – a wooden meat tenderiser – on the bench. “Order in my court!”

“Calm down, guys. We’ll never get to the end of this otherwise,” Graham grumbled.

“Check out the bailiff over there,” Gary snickered at Graham, who glared at him.

“I’m not the bailiff. I just want to get this over and done with.”

“The court will respect the authority of Bailiff Graham,” Bobby declared. 

Graham sighed.

Bobby scrolled through his phone. “Very well. Let’s start with the first case on our docket,” he said, nodding. Once, on a sick day, Bobby had watched many, many episodes of Law and Order. Many. So he considered himself an expert on all things lawyer-y. “Let’s see. The case of the bruised fruit. Who will defend?” 

“That’s my case,” Ibrahim said, jumping to his feet. “I will be defending with the help of Shannon.”

“Who is the accused?” 

“We think Marisol did it.”

Marisol glared at him. 

“And who will be defending Marisol?”

“I will,” Jude said, standing up. 

Marisol’s face lit up. “I knew I could count on you, babe.”

The others all stifled laughter, and Ibrahim’s sure grin wavered. They all knew that going up against Jude in an argument was the equivalent of challenging Michael Phelps in a swimming competition. The girl was sharper than a knife and stubborn like a mule. Nonetheless, they all listened to Ibrahim explain how someone’s heavy fingers were bruising the fruit in the fruit bowl. 

“All the evidence points to Marisol being the culprit,” he finished.

“Objection!” called Marisol.

“Overruled!” yelled Bobby, banging his gavel. “Bailiff Graham, escort the accused directly to jail!”

“I’m not the bailiff,” Graham protested. 

“And that’s not how it works,” Marisol pointed out. 

“Order! Order!” Bobby banged his gavel again. He really liked how that instantly seemed to shut them up. _I need one of these all the time,_ he thought, before shaking himself. “Alright. Jude, can you offer a defense?” 

Jude stepped forward. “This is a witch hunt, Judge Bobby,” she declared coolly. “The prosecution has no case whatsoever and has therefore stooped to speculation, tarnishing my client’s reputation and causing her emotional distress in the process.”

Several gasps were heard from the jury box. Ibrahim put his hands up. “That’s a bit harsh,” he said. “I just want her to stop bruising the fruit.” 

“And if I may ask, why is Marisol the only suspect in this case?”

Ibrahim sputtered. “Well, she’s the only one I’ve seen doing it, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others…” 

Jude looked triumphant. “Right.” She turned towards the jury. “Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you then: who else among us has touched the fruit? Show of hands, and be honest.”

After a moment of hesitation, Gary put his hand up, followed by Hope, Lottie, Graham and Elijah. Noah reluctantly put his hand up as well. 

Ibrahim looked at them in consternation. “Wait, what? You’re all just squeezing the fruit?”

Jude grinned. “As you can see, Judge Bobby, many of us are unwittingly checking and rechecking the same fruit for ripeness, bruising it in the process. And if everyone’s doing it, we can't just blame Marisol.” 

Everyone nodded in agreement, while Ibrahim shook his head.

Bobby turned to Hope. “Jury, your decision?” 

“The jury finds Marisol innocent,” Hope declared after a brief consult with the rest of the jury. “We all do it.” 

“Yeah, I do it too,” Bobby admitted. “Judge Bobby rules that Rahim is the new ripeness checker. Any fruit that isn’t ripe must go to the bottom of the bowl. Nobody else has to check them.” 

“Yes!” Ibrahim nodded. “No one fingers the fruit but me.”

“And no one uses the verb ‘finger’ ever again,” Lottie said, giving him a look.

Marisol grinned and gave Jude a high-five. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” Jude smirked. Marisol winked at her.

Bobby looked back at his phone. “Next case,” he declared. “Um, it has autocorrected to ‘Haha in Drake’?” 

“Ooh, hair in drain! That’s me. Objection! That’s me!” Chelsea bounced out of her seat and ran up to Bobby, waving her hand. 

Marisol jumped up, exasperated. “Can everyone stop using objection for everything? That’s not how you use it.”

Bobby banged his gavel. “Disorder! Disorder! Bailiff Graham, can you handle this?”

“I said I’m not—” Graham started, before rolling his eyes. “Oh, what’s the point. Marisol, you’re going to have to lower your voice.”

“Sorry, bailiff. It’s just that lawyers only say objection when…” She trailed off as Graham folded his arms and looked sternly at her. With a sigh, Marisol sat back down.

“Anyway,” Chelsea started, clearing her throat. “Elijah accused us girls of clogging up the drains. But we’ve all got hair, so there’s a possibility it could be your hair too!”

“It’s definitely the girls’ hair,” Elijah said from the side.

“Why though?” Hope asked, narrowing her eyes. “Why can’t it belong to you lot too?”

“Science,” declared Gary. “You’ve all got more hair. We can see it, rolling around like tumbleweeds in the shower.”

Lottie rolled her eyes. “You want science? Men can go bald. And their hair can clog up drains.”

At Lottie’s words, many of the boys reached up for their heads protectively. 

“Check my hair,” Gary mumbled to Rahim, who just patted him gently, unsure what to do. He turned to Bobby. “We, the men, demand you strike that from the record.”

“You don’t get to say that, I do,” Bobby decided. “And we don’t have a record.”

“This is why I should have been the stennagram woman,” Chelsea said.

“Stenographer,” corrected Marisol.

Gary glowered. “Fine then! I would like to defend the lads.”

“I’ll help,” Elijah said. Gary nodded at him.

“Sustained,” Bobby said.

“I will be calling some hair witnesses and asking them some questions,” announced Chelsea. “Hopefully the answers will prove me right.”

“Chelsea, let me help you out,” Jude said, getting up and making her way to stand next Chelsea. 

Gary groaned. Bobby snickered to himself. _Gary and Elijah don’t have a shot in hell between those two._

Chelsea beamed. “Thanks, babes!” She cleared her throat. “I’d like to call Elijah as my first witness.”

Elijah looked confused as he turned to face Chelsea. “I’m already here?”

“Good work!” Chelsea nodded, before trying to look sterner. “So, this morning you used the shower.”

“I use it most days, but go on.”

“And when you went in did you notice any hair in the drain?”

“No.”

“Really?” Chelsea asked. “Because there was definitely hair in the drain, and I remember thinking your hair looked really good.”

Elijah grinned. “Aw thanks, no one ever tells me my hair looks good.”

Chelsea blushed a little. “It looked lovely, really shiny. What kind of shampoo do you use?”

“Wait, is that your question?”

“Just tell the woman what shampoo you use, Elijah!” Jude intervened.

“Uh, whatever’s on offer at the supermarket,” Elijah answered.

Chelsea nodded. “Thank you. And when you washed it, did you clear your hair out of the drain after?”

“I didn’t see anything in the drain. Maybe it was your hair you saw?”

Chelsea wrinkled her nose. “It was so not my hair!”

Elijah turned to Bobby. “Judge Bobby, if I can be honest, I was too busy enjoying the shower to notice anything in the drain.”

“I’m the same when I’m in the shower,” Chelsea piped. “I just totally zone out.” Her eyes drifted off, like she was imagining herself in the shower.

Jude coughed pointedly, and that seemed to return Chelsea to the courtroom. She blushed.

“Oops, sorry. That’ll be the ADHD again. I swear it made sense in my head.”

“Don’t worry, we love your chat, Chels,” Bobby told her, and she beamed at him.

“Right,” she carried on, clearing her throat and turning her attention back to Elijah. “So Elijah, tell us if it was your lovely hair in the drain this morning.”

“Pretty sure it wasn’t,” he said, winking at Chelsea.

“Oh…” She looked flustered. “So it wasn’t Elijah. Unless…” She turned to Jude. “Is he telling the truth?”

“Yep,” Jude confirmed, her eyes darting to Shannon, who gave her a quick thumbs up.

“Oh… Fudge,” Chelsea sighed, looking defeated. 

Jude tapped her on the shoulder, and Chelsea leaned into her as she whispered something in her ear.

“You can go, Elijah,” she grinned. “I’d like to call my next witness… Judge Bobby!” 

Bobby looked up in confusion. He glanced at Marisol. “Uh… Is she allowed to call the judge?” 

Marisol shrugged. 

“Well, normally no, but you’re not a real judge,” Jude pointed out. 

Bobby pretended to glare at her. “Bailiff Graham, a word.”

“You can’t talk to Judge Bobby like that, Jude,” said Graham, playing along. 

Jude put her hands up, a smile playing on her lips. “I withdraw my statement.” 

Bobby nodded. “Sustained. Now ask me your question, Chelsea.”

“Um, right,” Chelsea said. “Judge Bobby, what were you doing in the shower the other day?”

The other Islanders started snickering.

Bobby blushed. “Not like that, you dirty birds. I was watching Gary use a poking device he’d fashioned to unblock the drain.” 

“Tell us what you witnessed,” prompted Chelsea

“Other than him poking a long pointy thing down the drain? He pulled out a massive lump of hair.”

Several groans were heard in the jury stands. 

Jude arched an eyebrow. “Interesting. Bring us the evidence.”

Gary pulled a face. “I chucked it, it was grim!” 

“The jury should note he destroyed the evidence,” Jude said, unperturbed.

“Do you want us to clear the drain or collect it all in case we have a mock trial?”

Lottie gagged. “I’d like the court to note I feel physically sick having to listen to this.”

“Noted,” Bobby said.

“That just proves our point though!” Ibrahim said. “The boys are always having to clean the girls’ hair out of the drain.”

“Err, no? Our hair is long and you can see it. It’s your short man hair that goes into the drain and blocks it,” Lottie argued.

Graham cleared his throat and Ibrahim and Lottie immediately stopped talking. “Am I going to have to remove you two from the courtroom?”

“No bailiff, we…” Ibrahim trailed off at the look Graham gave him.

“Zipping lip right now,” Lottie confirmed, pretending to zip her lips and throw away the key.

“Good. I’m glad.” Graham nodded.

“Tell the court what you said when you saw the lump of hair, Bobby,” Chelsea continued, bringing their attention back to the case. 

Bobby looked at Gary. He crossed his arms and stared at Bobby intensely. _Don’t even think about it, mate,_ his eyes seemed to say. 

“I said… I can’t remember what I said.”

“Objection!” Jude exclaimed, startling him. “The witness is lying!” 

Bobby looked at her and she winked, scratching the side of her nose. _Fuck, I gave myself away._ “I wasn’t lying,” he tried to backpedal. “My mind went blank. I remember now. I said, “Look Gary, it’s all the hair you’ve lost since you came to the Villa.””

Jude hid her smile behind her hand as stifled laughter was heard from the jury stand. Gary whipped around to see where it was coming from and it stopped.

“This has gone on long enough,” Gary declared. “Judge Bobby, what’s the final verdict?”

Bobby thought for a moment. “It’s everyone’s hair, isn’t it? Unless we can get forensic evidence to prove one person is shedding all of it. So how about this – every time someone clears the hair out of the drain, they can have an extra shot of wheatgrass.”

Jude grimaced. “I hate wheatgrass, it tastes like compost juice.”

Bobby ignored her. “Too bad! The court’s decision is final.” He banged his gavel, and Gary sat down. Chelsea hugged Jude as they both sat down and started giggling about something together. “Next up, the mystery knickers.”

Lottie stood up. “Finally. Let me go and fetch the evidence.” She ran off towards the Villa and returned a few moments later dangling a pair of ladies’ undergarments between her fingers. 

“Those are some fancy pants,” Bobby remarked. “Where’d you find them?”

“Down the side of my bed,” said Lottie.

Gary smirked. “And you want to show us your panties?” 

“They’re not mine!” Lottie protested. “Someone must have been fooling around in my bed and forgot their knickers. Babe, it’s so obviously you,” she pointed a finger at Jude, whose head snapped up from her quiet conversation with Chelsea. Her eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know what exactly you’re accusing me of there Lottie, but those aren’t mine. They could belong to any one of us for all you know.”

“Err, they are definitely not mine. I tend to go for something a little more conservative,” Gary said, chuckling.

“I’ll defend Jude,” Marisol announced, and Jude fist-bumped her. 

“Top girl.”

The two of them quickly conferred, whispering to each other before Marisol got up and walked up to Lottie. “Let’s have a closer look at these knickers, then.” She took the panties from Lottie and held them up. “They’re well nice.”

Lottie nodded as Marisol returned the panties to her. “Everyone knows how much you love your fashion, Jude. This is clearly high-end lingerie. And after me, you're the most forward person in the Villa. You’d have no problems doing bits in my bed.”

Jude rolled her eyes. "I think we've established that I'm not doing any bits any time soon. And if I did, it wouldn't be in your bed, Lottie."

“I think they’re Lottie’s and she’s trying to blame Jude for it,” Marisol continued, strutting in front of Bobby.

“They were in my bed, why would I try to blame them on someone else if they were mine?” 

“We’re going around in circles here,” Bobby interrupted. “Jude, are the exotic pants yours or not?” 

“I’ve never seen those before in my life,” Jude said. As she spoke, her nose twitched like a bunny’s. Bobby almost grinned. _So maybe I’m not the only one with a tell…_

“Maybe we’ve got a ghost who likes lingerie,” Bobby mused, winking at Jude, whose cheeks he could’ve sworn pinkened in the firelight.

“Or maybe they belonged to one of the weather reporters!” Chelsea offered. _Again with the weather reporters?_ Bobby wondered. _What’s up with that?_

“It’s just going to remain a mystery,” Elijah said.

“Well, let’s all agree to keep our undies on, or at least localized to our own beds from now on,” Bobby declared. “Case closed.”

Lottie shrugged. “Guess I’ll just chuck these then.”

They all watched as Lottie tossed the pants in the fire and they started to burn. Marisol put an arm around Jude and murmured something in her ear. Bobby fought down a little stab of envy at the sight. 

“Right, I’m tired,” he declared suddenly. “Judge Bobby’s court is adjourned.”

“Wait, aren’t we forgetting something?” asked Hope. 

“I think we’ve covered everything on the list,” Shannon quickly said.

“Everything, except… the nighttime noise,” Noah said, earning himself a dirty look from Shannon.

Bobby sighed. “I guess we could squeeze it in before bed if you really want to. Let’s have a show of hands. Who wants to try the case?”

Half the Islanders raised their hands. Bobby counted. “We’re evenly divided.” 

“Jude hasn’t voted,” Noah pointed out. 

“She’s got the deciding vote, then,” Bobby said, turning to her.

Jude looked around. “Nah, I’m good,” she finally said. “Some things are better left a mystery.” She winked at Shannon, who shot her a knowing smile.

“Court adjourned, then!” Bobby banged his gavel. The Islanders all got up and headed towards the bedroom, chatting idly amongst each other, exhausted but in a better mood than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe in during the COVID-19 pandemic guys! Wash your hands and be smart :)


	5. A Little Help From My Friends

##### Day 20

Jude had been in a terrible mood all morning.

The day had started so well, too. After Bobby’s courtroom session the previous evening, the atmosphere around the group had considerably lifted, and they’d all woken up feeling refreshed and optimistic for the day ahead. At breakfast, Jude had spent ten minutes watching Bobby and Ibrahim argue the merits of dippy eggs versus eggs benedict, ultimately siding with Bobby and his wee toast soldiers, which he’d seemed well chuffed by. Even Hope seemed to be having one of her good days, as she had only snapped at Jude once. Jude had just begun debating in her head whether Hope deserved rights after all, when the new girls had turned up and the day had completely gone to pot.

Jude gritted her teeth as she remembered how the boys had all fallen over themselves to greet Jo and Elisa as they walked in. She didn’t particularly care about Elijah’s fawning over Elisa. She hadn’t so much as batted an eyelash when Elisa had asked him on a date. She cared even less when Noah was selected, and Shannon seemed just as unbothered about Jo asking Rahim out.

What really put Jude out was Jo choosing Bobby for a date. 

_Fucksake,_ she thought irritably. _The guy is friend-zoned by every girl in this place for like three weeks, and the day I finally admit to myself I have feelings for him, he gets put in a couple with my worst enemy and some new bird with a terrible haircut swans in and takes him on a date. Honestly._ Jude huffed as she tugged on her bikini. In an effort to soothe her nerves, she’d decided to break in a new swimsuit, a leopard printed two-piece that criss-crossed in the front and showed just a little bit of underboob. _Better remind those boys who the real hot bitch is in this Villa._

Jude winked at her own reflection and strutted into the dressing room, where the new girls were getting ready for their dates and the others were getting ready for their dates. 

Elisa noticed her first and whistled. “Damn, Jude, anyone would think you were the one going on a date!” 

The other girls whipped their heads to look at her. Jude noticed Hope’s gaze darken a little as she looked down at her own bikini, and Jude couldn’t keep the smirk off her face.

“What, this old thing?” She purred coyly as she plopped down on a seat and grabbed her makeup bag. As she started applying her primer, Jude glanced in the mirror and noticed Elisa’s gaze lingering on her. _So I wasn’t being crazy, she was flirting with me,_ Jude thought, and she couldn’t help the little dash of satisfaction that shot through her. Although Elisa wasn’t really her type, she wasn’t about to turn down the attention. _And Bobby’s going on a date, so I won’t be getting any attention from him this morning._

That thought jolted Jude, and she realized she’d been holding Elisa’s gaze through the mirror for quite a while longer than necessary. Shaking herself, she carried on with her routine as Chelsea babbled on about Elisa and Jo’s dates. Jude somewhat tuned her out, catching drifts of her chatter here and there as she applied her makeup. _Something about pigs and teacups?_

A phone dinged just as Jude was zipping up her makeup bag, finally satisfied with her look of the day. She’d decided to keep it light, although she’d gone for a cat’s eye with her liner. _Hopefully Bobby gets the joke,_ she thought, gathering her curls up in two space buns on top of her head. A few strands escaped the knots, and Jude tugged a little, smoothing everything into a practiced messy look. 

“That’s us, we’ve got to leave now,” Elisa announced. The girls all got up and followed them out to the garden, Elisa’s heels clacking loudly on the linoleum of the floor. Outside, the boys loitered about, chatting in small groups. Jude’s gaze fell directly on Bobby, and she almost laughed. _Wow, that shirt is going to clash with Jo’s outfit,_ she thought, taking in his casual floral tee in contrast to Jo’s glammed-up red dress. Her laugh immediately died when he bent down and greeted Jo with a kiss on the cheek. 

Jude swallowed down her jealousy as she watched Jo laugh at something Bobby said. As she laughed, his gaze darted up, and he finally seemed to notice Jude standing behind Jo. His eyes widened, and he did a double take. _Wow,_ he mouthed, his eyes not leaving her. 

Jude bit down her self-satisfied smirk, winking at him. He seemed to gulp, and his cheeks flushed a little. He started to take a step towards her, and then—

"Jude, you look amazing!” Elijah said, popping up in front of her like a jack-in-the-box. His eyes traveled down her body appreciatively. “Have you got something planned?” 

She almost groaned in exasperation. “No, just felt like dressing up.” 

“Well, you look amazing.”

 _Keep it in your pants mate, cause you're not getting in mine._ “’Kay, thanks,” she said impatiently, side-stepping him. 

Bobby had gone back to chatting with Jo, Rahim having now joined them. _I’m going to throttle Elijah,_ Jude thought irritably. With a heavy sigh, she walked up to Shannon, who was lounging on a chair. 

“’Sup,” Jude greeted. Shannon pushed her sunglasses up and nodded, acknowledging her presence. 

“Looks like the two of us are in the same boat,” she said, her eyes sliding towards Jo and Ibrahim. “How’re you feeling about it?”

Jude pursed her lips. “A little frustrated, but what can you do.” 

Shannon nodded. “I get that.” She paused. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about with Bobby, though. Jo’s into Rahim. I can tell. I bet she only picked Bobby because she had to choose a second date and he seemed like a safe choice.” 

Jude fiddled with her mic chord. “Bobby deserves better than to be someone’s safe pick,” she muttered. 

Shannon arched an eyebrow. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about fighting off the professional biker chick off your man.” 

Jude reached over and patted Shannon’s hand. “Sorry babes, I realize I’m sounding a little insensitive right now. Are you alright?”

Shannon opened her mouth to say something, but a loud whoop from the other side of the lawn interrupted her. 

“And they’re off!” Gary’s loud voice boomed. “Have fun, you lot!” 

Shannon and Jude got up and made their way to the rest of the group as the daters started making their way out. Jo and Elisa each had a boy on each arm. Everyone waved and clapped as they walked out towards the back exit. Jude saw Shannon’s gaze follow Rahim, who stood a little closer to Jo than Bobby did. Hope watched Elisa cling onto Noah’s arm, her laugh ringing through the air.

“Why couldn’t she have picked someone else?” She hissed through her teeth, a fake smile plastered onto her face as Noah looked back and waved once before he disappeared around the corner of the house. Jo, Bobby and Ibrahim weren’t far behind, and as they started rounding the corner, Bobby turned towards Jude, giving her a quick wink and a cheeky grin. She barely had time to wink back at him before Jo dragged him out of view. 

The girls seemed to let out a collective breath. 

“Why did she have to pick Noah?” Hope started to moan.

Jude rolled her eyes. "Well that took all of five seconds," she muttered, causing Hope to throw her an annoyed look.

Gary and Graham, the only two date-less boys, looked at each other. 

“Right,” Graham said. “Gym time?”

“I’m gonna whoop your arse at the barbell this time,” Gary challenged. 

Graham smirked. “Go on then, hard man!” They jogged off towards the gym. Jude watched them go. _They’re eager to escape Hope's moaning, aren’t they? Can’t blame them, to be honest._

“I can’t believe Elisa took Noah on a date,” Hope continued. “I mean, did you look at Elisa? She’s model gorgeous. Noah’s loyal but even he has eyes.”

“I actually follow her socials,” Chelsea said, interrupting Hope's rant. “I always thought she was gorgeous on Insta and Snap. I thought maybe she used some kind of filter, but no. It was just her face. And she’s so wise. Like a motivational meme."

Marisol looked perplexed. “How can a meme be motivational? It’s just words describing the picture.”

Chelsea rambled on obliviously. “I bet she could cover hundreds of cushions with wise words. Her Pinterest board must be amazing…”

“Hate to be controversial, but I like them,” declared Marisol. “Both Jo and Elisa are confident, sexy, and know what they want.”

“What they want is one of our men, though,” Hope grumbled.

“Come on, Hope. I think by now we all know Noah’s loyal,” Lottie reassured her. “Elisa can try grafting him all she wants, I only know one person who’s been successful.”

Hope’s eyes darted towards Jude. “Thanks, Lottie. You’re right. We’ve been through so much and made it this far. We’ll make it through this.” She cast Jude a challenging look.

Jude fought not to roll her eyes into the back of her head. "Please spare us the dramatics for one day, Hope," she said, taking a swig of water from her bottle.

Hope glowered at her.

Sensing the tension, Lottie quickly changed topic. “Also, I want to see Bobby all coupled up with a cute girl. It’d be nice if he and Jo get together.”

Marisol smiled. “Aw, yeah. He’s a sweetheart, he deserves to find someone here.”

Jude's water almost shot out of her nose. “But that would mean none of _us_ could couple up with Bobby!” She blurted out.

Lottie, Hope and Marisol all turned to her in surprise, and Jude felt her face colouring a violent shade of scarlet.

Marisol arched an eyebrow. “Do any of us _want_ to couple up with Bobby?” She asked, her voice teetering on the edge between amusement and worry.

“I’m just saying… He… She… We were here first,” Jude floundered.

Lottie looked at her with raised eyebrows, surprise etched all over her face. Hope was looking smug. _Fuck off,_ Jude thought

“You’ve all got your wires crossed, anyway,” Jude declared, trying to shift the attention off her. “Jo’s clearly into someone else.” She nodded towards Shannon.

Her diversion worked. Everyone turned to look at Shannon, who shrugged coolly.

“Oh, Rahim? Yeah, not gonna happen.”

Hope looked skeptical. “She was in the Villa for, like, two seconds. You can’t know that.”

“Yes, I can,” Shannon insisted. “I know Rahim.”

The girls all peered at each other. Shannon sighed and leaned forward, looking at them from over her sunglasses. “It’s one short date,” she explained. “Her chance to make a first impression.” She put a finger up. “First off, she’s way too chatty. She won’t find out enough him to be able to graft properly. She’ll be too busy talking about herself. Secondly, she’s massively flirty."

“Err, yeah,” Lottie interrupted. “She’s grafting. That’s how you do it.”

Shannon smirked. “Wrong. What does Rahim do when someone flirts with him?”

Chelsea waved her hand in the air. “Ooh, I know, I know! He says something awkward and kills the moment dead.”

Shannon pointed at her. “Exactly. She’s got no game plan. She hasn’t really thought about how to get with Rahim at all. So I’m not worried."

“Shannon’s right,” Marisol agreed. “There’s no need to panic.”

“I wish I was as cool as you guys,” Hope sighed. “But, well… I can’t help thinking about the disaster scenario.” She looked up. “The one where the guys want to recouple with them, and two of us are dropped.” She looked sideways at Jude, who ignored her.

There was a moment of silence as the girls all absorbed this, and for a second, even Shannon looked worried. But then she shook her head.

“Right, I’m taking a dip,” she announced, getting up. “Who’s with me?”

The girls nodded and followed Shannon to the pool, except Jude, who stayed in her beanbag, mulling things over.

_This is perfect for Bobby. Three weeks in this place with nothing but friendship couples, and suddenly this new girl shows up and takes him on a date. What if he changes his mind? He said he’s liked me since the beginning, and all this time I’ve been too up my own arse to even notice. What if now that I finally admitted that I have feelings for him, it’s too late and he’s not interested anymore? He’s not one of those guys who enjoy the chase but not the catch, is he? What if he realizes he was clinging onto the idea of me rather than the actual me? What if he’s one of those lads who fantasize about a girl only to be disappointed when he realizes the version of her he’s built up in his head doesn’t match the reality? What if he realizes that underneath all this front, I’m a big old mess and that he wants nothing to do with me? It wouldn’t be the first time. Oh God. Oh God. Oh—_

“Jude, are you coming?” A voice suddenly snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts. Jude looked up and squinted her eyes against the sun to find Chelsea hovering above her. She quickly withdrew the nail she’d been chewing on from her mouth.

“Hey, are you okay hun?” Chelsea asked her, her eyebrows drawing together in worry. “You don’t seem yourself.”

"Yeah... No. I don't know," Jude sighed, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes. “I'm not sure what’s up with me today. All of this is getting to me I think.”

Chelsea reached down and took Jude’s hand. “Let’s go and have a chat. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Jude looked at her friend gratefully. “That would really help, babe.” She pushed herself up and let Chelsea tug her towards the daybeds.

Once there, Jude collapsed face down into a pillow and groaned loudly. She felt Chelsea put a hand on her shoulder.

“Every time things like this happen, I never know how they’re gonna turn out,” Jude said, her voice muffled by the pillow. “And I don’t do well with not knowing.” 

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, babe,” Chelsea consoled her. “Elijah didn’t even notice them.”

Jude tilted her head up towards Chelsea. She avoided eye contact.

“You’re a crap liar, hun,” Jude chuckled. “You saw how he practically jumped over us to welcome Elisa into the Villa.”

Chelsea pursed her lips. “You know what it’s like when someone new arrives. It’s just curiosity, isn’t it? Like, you would have shoved one of us in the pool if it meant you getting closer to a new boy first. Remember the morning Lucas and Henrik arrived?”

Jude pondered that. _Huh, she’s not wrong,_ Jude admitted to herself.

“You’ve got nothing to be worried about, babe,” Chelsea continued. “You saved Elijah from getting dumped. I’m sure he’s got your back too. He wouldn’t choose one of them over you and let you get dumped, no way. Not if I’ve got something to say about it.”

Jude smiled at that. “You know, sometimes I forget how wise you are, Chels.” Chelsea winked, but Jude’s smile faded. She sighed and sank deeper into her pillow. 

“Right, I know that sigh,” Chelsea said. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Well… It’s not Elijah I’m worried about, to tell you the truth,” Jude admitted.

Realization drew on Chelsea’s face. “Is this about Bobby?”

“Maybe…”

Chelsea grinned. “Babes, you’ve really got nothing to worry about then!”

“How do you know, though?” Jude insisted. “Jo’s funny, and sporty, and they seemed to get on really well this morning. What if she’s got something I don’t, Chels? What if she likes the crisp flavours he doesn’t and all of that weird relationship crap that means they shouldn’t be compatible, but they actually are? What if—” Jude stopped herself short. “Ugh, listen to me, I sound like a proper melt! What’s wrong with me? When did I become such an insecure mess?” She threw a pillow over her face and groaned into it.

Chelsea snatched the pillow away from her and Jude threw her an offended look. “First of all, there’s nothing wrong with you because you’re perfect,” Chelsea stated, and Jude started to protest, but Chelsea clapped a hand over her mouth to shush her. Jude shook her off with a laugh but stayed quiet. “Second of all, you have something Jo will never have, and that’s Bobby’s heart. Trust me hun, that boy is so whipped for you it’s ridiculous. You should have seen his face when I told him you liked him back. Um, I mean…” She looked at Jude awkwardly.

Jude rolled her eyes. “Chels, it’s fine. Kinda figured that one out when Bobby cornered me in the kitchen and insisted we talk in private.”

“Oh em gee, what did you talk about?” Chelsea gasped, her awkwardness forgotten. 

Jude blushed. “Just, um, stuff…” 

“Uh-huh…” Chelsea grinned knowingly.

“Anyway, you were saying?” Jude prodded, and Chelsea blinked. “His face when you told him—"

“Oh, yeah! When I _accidentally_ let it slip out that you fancied him, he, like, lit up like a Christmas tree. It was so cute, I thought I was gonna, like, cry.”

Something warm blossomed inside Jude’s chest. “Seriously?” She asked, still a little disbelieving.

“Babes, he totally did. I could tell he was just so, so happy. Like, I’m not really supposed to tell you this,” she said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “but he’s had this major crush on you since, like, day one. You were all he talked about in every one of his Beach Hut confessionals. You should have seen the hashtags! Oh em gee the viewers were so sad when you kept picking other boys instead. Everyone was totally rooting for you to get together. And then when you swerved him at the firepit, we were all like, noooooo!”

 _At the firepit?_ Jude thought in confusion, before realization dawned on her. _Oh…_ Her cheeks flamed.

On the night of the Rocco drama, while everyone was busy trying to calm down a furious Lottie and a butt-headed Marisol, Bobby had invited her to sit at the firepit with him. He’d been really forward, the most Jude had seen him up till that point. She remembered flirting with him, still a little tipsy from the drinks she’d just had with the girls on the terrace. _And then…_

“It wouldn’t have been right,” Jude said, her voice pained at the memory. 

“I know, hun, but we were all, like, heartbroken all the same. I think he was, too. After that, he kinda seemed like he gave up and made the best of being friends. But then I got here and it was, like, soooo obvious that he still had feelings for you! I wanted to tell you everything right away, of course, but then all the drama with Lottie, and then Noah, and then Casa and everything happened and it just, like, totally slipped my mind…” Chelsea frowned. “But now it doesn’t matter because you said you fancied him all on your own, and he fancies you back, and you can be together and be the cutest couple ever!” She squealed. 

Jude sighed. “I don’t think it’s that easy,” she said, resting her head back down on the pillow. “We’re in different couples. We don’t even know when the next recoupling will be. What if something changes till then? You know how fast things move in here.”

Chelsea took Jude’s hand and squeezed it. “Babes, you can’t think like that. Remember what I told you before? You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. You just have to trust the universe knows what’s best for you, and everything will be alright.”

Jude smiled at that. “Chelsea… That was beautiful.” She sat up and hugged her tightly. “And you’re right.”

“You know I am,” Chelsea said, hugging her back.

“This chat has made me feel loads better,” Jude admitted, pulling back. “Thank you so much, hun.”

“Any time, babe!” Chelsea grinned. “You’re one of my girls, and I look out for my girls. Now, ready for that swim?”

Jude nodded, and she was about to get up when she saw Marisol walking over to them. She plopped down on the bed next to Chelsea.

“You two have been chatting for ages. Everything ok?”

“Everything’s peachy. Right Jude?” Chelsea said, winking at her.

Jude chuckled and winked back. “Totally.”

“In that case…” Marisol looked up. “Jude, fancy going up to the roof terrace? We can keep a lookout for when the boys come back.”

“Sure, let’s do it,” Jude said, rolling off the bed. “We’ll catch up later for that swim, alright babe?”

Chelsea nodded vigorously. “Totes!” She jumped up and waved at them, before running off towards the pool.

Marisol took Jude by the hand, and together they hurried off towards the terrace. Once there, they sat at the edge facing the southern exit, which offered the best view of the entrance to the Villa.

Jude shivered slightly as wind tousled her hair and she looked up at the sky. She hadn’t even noticed that it had gone grey and covered. “Where did the sun go?”

Marisol looked up as well. “I know, right? It’s so disappointing. The day started off so sunny and warm,” she sighed and turned to Jude. “I can already feel the vibe in the Villa changing. It’s been really lovely the past couple of days. Even with the recouplings and the new girl drama. We’ve been really making things work. It’s felt like we’re a family. And now…”

Jude laid down and propped her head up with some cushions. “Now we have two new girls, the boys are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, the girls are about to dive deep into the cling-zone, and it's back to square one. It totally sucks.”

Marisol snorted in amusement, then looked thoughtfully over the edge of the terrace. “What do you think of Elisa?” She suddenly asked.

Jude shrugged. “Dunno. Haven’t talked to her enough to form an opinion, but she seems cool.”

Marisol nodded. “Yeah, I’d like to get to know her better too. She reminds me of one of my exes.”

Jude smirked. “Sounds like Graham’s the one who should be worried then,” she teased, nudging Marisol with her foot.

Marisol smiled mysteriously. “Maybe.” She looked over at Jude. “You interested at all?”

Jude shook her head. “Nah, she’s not my type.”

“Bobby is, though?”

Jude blushed slightly. “Err, I mean…”

“When did that happen?” Marisol asked curiously. “As far as I knew, you weren’t interested in him before Casa.”

“No,” Jude confirmed. “Well, I mean, not really, but kind of? I think there was always something there between us, I just was too dumb to realize it until we came back and everything went to shit with Noah.”

“Ah,” Marisol said simply. She paused for a moment. “So when we were together…”

Jude sighed and sat up. “Marisol, we’ve talked about this.”

“I know, I know,” Marisol mumbled. “We’re too different.”

“Yeah,” Jude said. “It was fun and everything, but… We’d better cut our losses and end it before it goes too far and we both get hurt.”

Marisol sighed. “I can’t turn off my feelings as easily as that, Jude.”

A stab of guilt shot Jude through the heart. “I’m sorry.” She looked away. “If you’re not comfortable around me, I understand. I’ll give you as much time and space as I can, you know, being in here and all. But I hope we can stay friends,” she said earnestly.

“Thank you,” Marisol said.

“For what it’s worth, I think you and Graham make a great couple,” Jude said. “You compliment each other really well.”

Marisol ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah. I really like him. Well, not as much as I liked…” She glanced at Jude. “But as far as boys go, he’s a good one. We could make a good go of things,” she said half-heartedly. “Anyway, thanks for listening. You’re a good… friend.”

Jude reached over and squeezed her hand. “Anytime.”

At that moment, loud voices drifted up from the lawn below. Marisol and Jude whipped around and peered over the edge of the terrace, just in time to see the daters walking back into the Villa. The rich sound of Elisa’s laughter filled the air as she laughed at something Bobby said.

Marisol and Jude looked at each other, then sprang up from their seats and rushed down the stairs. A group had formed around Jo and Elisa as they recounted their dates.

“It’s not the first time I’ve got semi-naked and sweaty on a first date,” Jude heard Jo say as she approached. She was grinning at Rahim.

“It was great,” Rahim said enthusiastically. “I feel so much more relaxed now.”

“Ours was more like a romcom,” Elisa purred. “Elijah couldn’t stop laughing…”

“Because it tickled!” Elijah looked embarrassed. “I’m not used to people touching me there.”

“He literally rolled off the table!” Elisa laughed, and the Islanders burst into laughter.

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Jude.

Elijah finally seemed to notice her. “Oh, hey Jude! Just telling the guys about our date.”

“We went at a couples spa,” Bobby said, speaking for the first time. “We all got bubbly and massages.”

Jude looked over to him. He was smiling stupidly, maybe still tipsy from the alcohol, but that didn’t stop the venom of jealousy from coursing through Jude’s veins. “Sounds boring,” she declared. “Just sitting around and sweating. You could have done that here.”

Bobby arched an eyebrow at her, and she looked away.

“See, I thought that too, but I ended up really loving it,” Jo said.

Elisa shrugged. “It’s not for everyone, I guess. Luckily, we all loved it. Right guys?” She grinned slyly in Jude’s direction. The boys all nodded and whooped enthusiastically.

 _Great, they’ve bonded,_ Jude thought angrily. The girls chatted a while longer, and then the group dispersed, returning to their various activities while Jo and Elisa went to change out of their date outfits.

Jude walked over to the loungers, determined to top up her tan and try to empty her head of all its thoughts, Bobby included. She slid her sunglasses on and flopped down onto her back. A minute barely passed before Jude felt the mattress dip as someone sat next to her. Cracking an eye open, she found Bobby at the foot of the chair.

“Hey,” he greeted.

Jude nodded at him, but remained quiet. 

“You okay?” He asked. “You’ve been quiet today.”

“Yeah, fine,” Jude said curtly.

Bobby sighed. “Yeah, you’re doing that thing where you answer in one-syllable words, so I know you’re not fine. Care to share?”

“Nah.”

“Not even with… Fun Uncle Bobby?” He grinned, giving her an exaggerated wink.

Jude rolled her eyes. “Stop. You sound like the creepy uncle at every family reunion ever.”

Bobby wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. This time, a giggle fought its way past Jude’s lips, and Bobby grinned even wider.

 _Oh, what’s the point,_ Jude thought, sliding her glasses down her nose and peering at him. “Anyway, how was your date?” she asked, trying her hardest to sound casual, and apparently failing.

Bobby raised an eyebrow. “Is that what all this is about?”

Jude didn’t answer, instead looking away from Bobby.

“Aw, is someone a little jealous?” He teased.

Jude huffed as she felt her cheeks pinken. “You know what, forget I asked anything,” she mumbled, laying back down on the lounger and pushing her sunglasses up. A second later, she felt Bobby take her hand.

“It was just a little date, babe. There’s no reason to be upset.”

“I’m not upset!” Jude protested, pulling her hand away from Bobby’s. “I just…" She struggled for words.How was she supposed to say that she hated having to see him going on dates with other girls without sounding like a jealous knob? She wasn't in a couple with him. And even if she was, it wasn't her place to tell him who he could and couldn't date. It reeked of exactly the kind of territorial behaviour she despised in others and she wouldn't be that person.

She swallowed hard. "Seriously, just forget about it. I’m being ridiculous. It’ll pass. Just ignore me.”

“As if I’m ever going to ignore you,” Bobby said. “Hey. Listen.” He reached for her hand again. “You seriously have nothing to worry about. Jo asked me on that date, and I went, and it was a nice change from the Villa, but there wasn’t a second I didn’t wish it was you there instead of her.”

Jude’s heart did somersaults inside her ribcage. “Really?”

“Yes, really, you dildo,” he said, flicking her on the forehead.

Jude gasped. “You did _not_ just do that.”

“And what if I did? What are you gonna do about it?” Bobby said, grinning.

Quick as lighting, Jude reached over and flicked him back. She sat back with a smug smile.

“Oh, this means war,” Bobby declared, and reached forward to flick her on the arm. Jude reciprocated by flicking him on the cheek, and before long, the two of them were flicking each other all over, snorting with laughter.

“Okay, okay! Truce!” Bobby finally called, still giggling, his hands up in surrender.

Jude flicked him on the nose one last time and stuck her tongue out at him. “For good measure.”

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other in silence.

“I wish I could kiss you right now,” Jude suddenly whispered.

Bobby sucked in an audible breath. “I’ve wanted to snog the shit out of you since day fucking one.” He hesitated. “But patience, young grasshopper.”

“I’m not exactly known for my patience, Bob.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Bobby chuckled, earning himself a glare. “Lass, I’ve literally never known someone with as short a fuse as you. But I kinda like it.”

“You like that I’m short-tempered?” She asked doubtfully. None of her exes ever liked that about her. _Like going out with a ticking time-bomb,_ as one of them had put it.

“Yeah. I hate conflict too much, and that sometimes means that I have trouble standing up for myself and what I want in situations where I really should.” He looked over at her. “Case in point. But it feels good to know I have someone like you in my corner. Someone who gets pissed on my behalf, and makes me feel braver and more confident standing up for what I deserve.”

Jude blinked in surprise. She really hadn’t expected Bobby to say something so nice. Her cheeks warmed. “Wow,” she simply said, unsure of how to answer a speech like that. “Thank goodness I’m pig-headed enough for the two of us, then.”

Bobby rolled his eyes. “Your pig-headedness stands unrivaled in this Villa. Probably in the UK, if we’re being honest.”

Jude punched him in the arm. “Oi!” They both burst into laughter. As she laughed, Jude’s eyes wandered around the yard, and she spotted Shannon, who was looking intently in her direction. When she saw Jude looking back, she inclined her head in the direction of the kitchen.

Jude sighed. “I’m being summoned.” Bobby turned around, spotting Shannon. “But we’ll talk again later.”

“Of course,” Bobby said, standing up and offering his hand, which Jude gladly took. “I better go change out of this anyway,” he said, gesturing at his date outfit. Then he leaned down and wrapped Jude in a hug. “We’ll be together soon enough,” he whispered in her ear. “And when we are, I’ll snog you so much you’ll beg me to stop.”

Jude smiled against his chest as her lower abdomen tickled. _Oh sweet baby Jesus._ She rolled onto her tiptoes. “I can’t wait,” she whispered back at him. And with a wink, she backed out of the hug and strutted off to the kitchen where Shannon was waiting for her, feeling giddier than she'd had in ages.


	6. They're Gonna Crucify Me

“I didn’t do it!”

Jude bit down her frustration. The evening had barely started and it had already all gone to crap. _Just keeping in theme with the rest of the day,_ she thought sarcastically. 

After her chat with Bobby, Jude had found Shannon in the kitchen. It turned out Shannon wasn’t quite as calm, cool and collected as she tried to make herself out to be. She’d been getting antsier ever since Rahim had come back from his date with Jo, looking more chipper than usual. 

“I don’t trust it,” Shannon had said. Then she’d asked Jude to go interrogate Ibrahim about what happened on his date and report back to her. 

Jude didn’t really like the idea. She’d felt it would be better for Shannon to ask him herself, and bypass the go-between. But Shannon was adamant that if something had happened on the date, she was the person Rahim was most likely to lie to. So Jude had reluctantly agreed and gone to speak to Ibrahim. 

As it turned out, Shannon’s instincts had been correct. After much cajoling and prodding, Jude had gotten Ibrahim to admit that Jo kissed him on their date. 

“Should I tell Shannon about it?” He’d asked Jude nervously, and she’d wanted to whack the numpty upside the head. 

“Of course you should tell her,” she told him as calmly as she could, sitting on her hands so she wouldn’t be tempted to reach over and throttle him. “You know how things are around here. Nothing ever stays secret for long.”

Ibrahim had nodded, going pale. “You’re right. You’re dead right.” 

But before he could do anything about it, they heard Chelsea’s scream and rushed up to the dressing room. When they’d realized she wasn’t, in fact, being murdered, but only chatting with Elisa, Ibrahim had trodden back out in search of Shannon, while the girls gathered in the dressing room to get ready for evening drinks. It was then that Chelsea had spilled the beans: Elisa had told her that she saw Ibrahim and Jo kiss on their date.

Unfortunately, Shannon had walked into the room at just the wrong moment.

“Rahim and Jo were… kissing?” She’d asked, her face going red, and Jude knew that Ibrahim hadn’t gotten to her in time. She’d turned to Jude. “You talked to Rahim. Did he say anything to you?” 

Jude confirmed the story, just as she’d heard it from Ibrahim’s mouth.

Shannon’s mouth had pursed into a thin line. “I’m going to have a chat with Jo,” she’d said. “She needs to know what’s what. Ibrahim’s mine.” And she’d walked out of the dressing room without another word. 

The remaining girls had started glaring at Chelsea. 

“Well done, Chelsea,” Hope had chided her. “This is so not what we need right now. More drama!”

Jude had felt her protective instincts flare up. “Don’t put this on Chelsea,” she’d snapped. “This is on Ibrahim and Jo, and no one else.” 

“Maybe, but she still spread gossip, and told Shannon before Ibrahim could explain himself,” Hope had countered. 

“Shannon would have heard about it from me either way, she literally sent me to speak to Rahim for her,” Jude argued. “Chelsea just got there first.”

“Then we know which ones of us can’t be trusted with secrets,” Lottie had sniffed, and Jude had glared at her.

"That's rich, coming from you Lottie."

Lottie narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're the biggest tattler in this whole Villa, so you really have no room to talk about who can and can't keep secrets in here."

Lottie opened her mouth, not doubt to snap back, but Hope interrupted her.

“Enough. This isn't about you two. We need to stop this before it gets any further,” Hope had declared, and she’d followed Shannon out the door, Lottie and Marisol on her heels. Jude had stayed behind to help Chelsea with her butterfly earrings, which kept flying out of her hands. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Chelsea had asked, her voice small. 

Jude patted her on the shoulder. “No, hun. Shannon would have found out one way or another. If not you, I would have told her.” 

Chelsea had nodded, but hadn’t seemed convinced. Jude took her by the elbow. “C’mon, let’s go have a glass of bubbly. That’ll cheer you up.”

Chelsea’s eyes had lit up, and she’d started babbling as the two of them made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where they’d walked right into the middle of a shouting match between Jo and Shannon. Graham, Elijah and Bobby stood in the middle of the chaos, looking like deer in headlights. 

“Here comes the gossip-sneezer!” Elisa sneered at Chelsea as soon as she walked into the kitchen. 

Chelsea froze and looked at Jude unsurely. 

The other girls stopped shouting to look at Elisa in confusion. “What the hell is a ‘gossip-sneezer’?” Marisol asked, frowning. 

“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing,” Hope added.

Elisa huffed. “It’s like… Someone who snorts up all your sugary sweet gossip, then goes and sneezes it to someone else. A gossip-sneezer,” she’d said, like it explained anything. 

Jude glared at her. “That makes no sense. Besides, you’re the one who gossiped to Chelsea first. Wouldn’t that make _you_ the gossip-sneezer?” 

Elisa glared back. “No! I only told _Chelsea_. She’s the one who went and sneezed to everyone.” 

“Forget about gossip sneezing!” Shannon snapped. “Jo, you need to quit lying and just admit it!” 

“Admit what? I didn’t do anything!” Jo shouted. 

“Um, what’s happening?” Graham asked awkwardly, interrupting the yelling. 

“Rumor is that Jo went and kissed Rahim on their date,” Shannon sniffed disdainfully. 

The boys all raised their eyebrows. “Nice one, Jo!” Graham grinned. 

“Yeah, Rahim’s a lovely lad,” Elijah agreed.

Shannon turned her glare towards him. “He’s my guy, Elijah. No one crosses me with my guy.” 

“Err… Right,” Elijah shuffled his feet. “Where is Rahim, anyway?” 

“Yeah, let’s go and get him and get this cleared up properly,” Graham said. 

“No!” Shannon yelled. “I’m not going around accusing my man of anything until I have all the facts. Which is why this one,” she sneered at Jo, “needs to just come out and confess what she did.” 

“How many times do I need to say it? I. Didn’t. Kiss him,” Jo glowered. 

“Come now Jo, you know that’s a lie,” Jude told her. 

Jo glared at her. “And how would you know?” 

“Because Rahim told me!” 

“Then what the hell are you getting up my ass for if he’s already told you everything?” Jo shouted. 

“Because I want to hear it from you, like it should’ve been the second you walked in from that date!” Shannon retorted, getting up in her face.

Bobby stepped in between them. “Sounds like you guys need ole Judge Bobby to sort you out,” he chuckled nervously, trying to defuse the tension with humour. “Shall I go get the cape and gavel?” 

Shannon glared at him. “No, we don’t need you right now.” 

“Yeah, this is between us girls,” Hope added. “We don’t want to spread this gossip any further.”

“Yes, Bobby, you need to leave,” Elisa declared. “And take Graham and Elijah with you while you’re at it.” 

Graham threw his arms up. “Fine. This drama is pointless anyway.” 

Bobby stared glumly down at his feet. “I just wanted to help,” he murmured, hurt etched all over his face. He started to walk out of the kitchen after Graham and Elijah.

Jude’s blood boiled at the sight. She felt hot anger spread through her, and her vision went red. _Oh hell no,_ she thought, her hands clenching into fists. _Not on my watch._

“Bobby, don’t you dare take another step,” she growled. Bobby froze on the spot, as did Graham, Elijah, and the rest of the girls. “Stay right where you are.” 

“No, we don’t need them here right n–” Elisa started, but Jude shot her a glare so venomous it shut her right up. 

“You,” she spat through her teeth. “Where do you get off telling anyone to where they are or aren’t needed? You’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours, so pipe down and stop pretending like you know _fuck all_ about the way things work around here. Bobby was offering, very nicely I might add, to be an objective party to help you all solve your collective bullshit, so there’s literally _zero_ reason for you to talk to him that way. As for your issues with Chelsea, you need to take your gossip-sneezer horse dung and shove it up your ass.”

Elisa turned red. “She spread information I told her confidentially! She wasn’t supposed to–” 

Jude put a finger up, interrupting her. “Shut the fuck up. You watch the show – and don’t even try to pretend like you don’t, because I can spot a liar from a mile off – so you _had_ to know that Chelsea can’t keep a secret to save her life. I’m sorry babe, but it’s true,” she said to Chelsea, whose face flushed a bit. “So why, then, would you go and tell her about Jo and Rahim’s kiss?” she challenged. “You know what I think? I think you told Chelsea on purpose. You wanted all this to get back to Shannon, because you knew it would create drama and give you the screen time so _clearly_ crave.” Elisa started sputtering, but Jude ignored her and turned to Shannon and Jo, who were gaping at her. 

“As for you two,” she said, pointing between the two girls, “you need to get your shit together and go talk this out with Rahim.” 

“I’m not talking to him until she–" Shannon started protesting. 

“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Jude interrupted, shouting over her. “This isn't an issue between you and Jo, it’s an issue between you and Rahim. _He’s_ the one you’re in a couple with, not her, so if he kissed her, it’s on _him_ to take responsibility for his actions. Literally what are you hoping to achieve by standing here attacking Jo?” Shannon started to speak, but Jude cut her off again. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re a goddamn fully-grown woman. Quit it with the schoolyard he-said she-said bullshit and go talk to your man, as you call him. And Jo,” she said, turning to the girl, “for the love of God, just stop fucking lying. No one gives a shit that you kissed Rahim, but lying about it just makes you look stupid and untrustworthy. Not a great impression to make on your first day in the Villa, hun.” She stared her down, and Jo shrunk back a little bit.

“Fucksake,” Jude breathed. “Enough is enough.”

She was breathing hard, a little out of breath after her rant. The kitchen was quiet as everyone stared at her with round eyes, as if they couldn’t quite believe she’d really said all that. Then, Bobby started to clap, a slow grin spreading on his face. Graham and Elijah joined him. “That,” Bobby declared, sounding a little awestruck, “was so awesome!” 

“Yeah,” Elijah agreed. “That was badass.” 

“Someone finally said what we were all thinking,” Graham said. “Enough with the drama!” 

Jude smiled. “Thanks boys,” she said, lifting her hat off her head as she mockingly bowed. 

Someone coughed behind them. The lot of them turned and saw the rest of the boys hovering at the entrance of the kitchen. _They must’ve gotten here sometime during my little outburst,_ Jude realized, taking in Ibrahim’s flustered expression and Noah and Gary’s gaping mouths. 

“Um…” Gary started. “Is this a bad time?”

“Shannon… Jo…” Ibrahim said, his voice strained. His eyes were firmly cast on the ground. “Can we have a chat?” 

“I think that would be a good idea,” Jude jumped in before either of them could say anything. “Don’t you think so, Shannon?” 

Shannon glared her way a little but conceded. “Yes, I think a chat is in order, babes.” She took off towards Rahim and Jo followed, her arms crossed over her chest. Soon, the three of them had walked away. 

The rest of the kitchen was still silent. _Jesus, I really have to do everything myself tonight,_ Jude thought. 

“Right,” she said, clapping her hands, and looked around. “Could anyone else use a drink?” 

The mention of alcohol seemed to snap at least Chelsea out of her trance. “Oh em gee, I totally could, babe!” She grabbed the bottle of bubbly that was resting in an ice bucket on the counter and popped the cork. “Say when!” She giggled as she started pouring the champagne into one of the flutes that were neatly arranged near the bucket.

By the time everyone had a drink in their hand, the atmosphere had seemed to relax a little bit. There were still some glances thrown Jude’s way, some surly, some incredulous, but for the most part it seemed like everyone was making an effort to move past the drama and have a pleasant evening. 

“Cheers!” Hope cried, raising her glass in a toast. “To Elisa and Jo!” 

“To Elisa and Jo,” the rest of the Islanders muttered, taking sips of their drinks. 

Chelsea sidled up to Jude. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “For having my back over there.” 

Jude one-arm hugged her. “Hun, you don't have to thank me. You're my best friend, and I'll always have your back, no matter what. But I hope this has taught you that in the future, it’s better to speak directly with the person involved in gossip instead of telling it to the whole group. Wouldn’t want you to get accused of gossip-sneezing again,” she teased her, tapping Chelsea’s nose.

Chelsea blushed a little, but giggled. “Babes, I’ll try, but you know how I am. My mouth just has a mind of its own.” 

“And we love you for it,” Jude said. Chelsea giggled again. 

“Hey,” said a voice at Jude’s ear. She smiled when she recognized who it belonged to. “Wanna ditch this lot?” 

“God yes,” Jude said, waving at Chelsea before following Bobby out to the pool. They took off their shoes and sat close to each other, dangling their legs in the water. Jude felt Bobby’s pinky finger brush against her own, and somehow that tiny little gesture felt more intimate than all the hugs they’d ever shared.

“So…” Bobby started. “That was some scene back there.” He looked sideways at Jude. 

“I guess.”

“I gotta say, I was a little scared.” 

Jude frowned. “What? Why?”

Bobby looked at her incredulously. “Have you met angry you? You’re terrifying. I thought you were gonna rip Elisa’s head off.” 

Jude flushed. “Yeah, I get that way sometimes.” She narrowed her eyes. “But if she didn’t want to meet the Jude-Hulk, she shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” 

“Jude-Hulk,” Bobby chortled. “I like that.” He paused. “You know, in a way, though, it was pretty sexy.”

Jude’s eyebrows shot up. “Seeing me angry… turned you on?” 

He nodded. “It was kinda like having my own personal knight in shining armour.”

Jude started giggling. “Does that make you the damsel in distress?” 

“Obviously,” he said, pretending to faint onto her lap. “Oh, please save me, Sir Jude!”

“Have no fear, fair Bobby, I shall defend you against any and all sharp-tongued influencers,” Jude said in a gruff voice. The two of them laughed together. 

“Seriously, though, you were unbelievable,” Bobby said in a more serious tone. “I never know what to do or say in situations like that. I feel like I’m responsible for everything. And that means I always want to fix everything, and when I can’t… It’s like my whole world fall apart a little.” 

Jude’s heart pinched. “You can’t always fix everything, Bobby. And besides, it isn’t your responsibility.” 

“I know that. But I can’t help it. I hate seeing people argue like that. I hate drama.” 

Jude arched an eyebrow. “You do realize we’re on a TV show, right? A _reality_ TV show?” 

“You don’t say,” Bobby deadpanned, nodding towards a camera. “Is that what all those are for?” He gave her a side smile, but his expression turned sad.

Jude wrapped her arms around his middle. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” she said softly. 

He looped his arms around her shoulders. “Please do,” he said, and Jude felt him smiling against her hair. He kicked his foot in the water and a few drops splashed onto Jude. 

An idea suddenly popped into her head. Using the element of surprise to her advantage, she tightened her arms around Bobby’s waist and lurched sideways. “Geronimo!” She shouted as she fell into the pool, taking Bobby with her.

“Wha—” Bobby’s cry was cut as they hit the water. For a moment, the world around Jude consisted entirely of bubbles, every other sound muffled by the water. She opened her eyes and saw Bobby a few centimetres away from her. His cheeks were puffed, but his eyes were open too, and he was staring back at Jude. They stared at each other a few more seconds before Jude’s lungs started burning and she kicked back towards the surface. She broke with a gasp.

Bobby followed her suit. “Hey, you minx!” He laughed, splashing a little water at Jude. “What was that for?” 

Jude grinned. “You were getting a bit melty, so I figured you needed a refresher.”

“Pfft, me, melty?” Bobby ducked under and popped back up, spouting water out of his mouth like a fountain. 

Jude grimaced. “Ewww, Bobby! Everyone’s been bathing their dirty feet and sweaty bodies and who knows what else in that water for twenty days, don’t put it in your mouth!” 

Bobby grinned wider and started spraying water in Jude’s direction. She shrieked and dove, swimming underwater towards the edge of the pool. Bobby caught up with her and put his hands on her shoulders, dunking her. Jude shoved at him and he let her go. 

She found him laughing uproariously as she surfaced. “You asshole, you could have drowned me!” She splashed at him before pushing herself onto the coping and tugging up her tube top before it could slip under its sodden weight. 

“I would never let you drown, Juju,” Bobby said, pushing himself out of the pool after her, water streaming off his clothes like a waterfall. 

“What did we say about that nickname, Robert?” Jude said, her hands on her hips. 

“That you love it and want me to use it as much as possible,” Bobby said, giving her his best shit-eating smirk. She socked him on the arm, hard, and they both doubled over in laughter.

As the laughter trailed off, Jude found Bobby looking at her intently. “What?” She asked.

“Nothing,” he said, but gave her a little smile, making the dimple in his right cheek appear. “Just… thank you for the chat. It really meant a lot to me. And not only that, but you really do, like, mean a lot to me, too.”

Jude smiled at that, her heart beating a little quicker. “Let’s head to bed. A good sleep always makes things a little better,” she offered quietly, and reached her hand out. Bobby took it, weaving his fingers through hers, and together they headed back into the Villa, drenched, exhausted, but a little happier than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all doing well. Stay safe, stay healthy babes <3


	7. Colour of Your Dreams

##### Day 21

The sounds of laughter and clanging pots filled the night air as Jude and Elijah got busy making dinner. 

Bobby watched them from his seat at the long table that had been dressed in the garden for all fourteen Islanders. _I wish that was me with Jude in there,_ he sighed wistfully as he watched Elijah clumsily drain a pot of pasta. _We’d be killing it._

It had been a long day. The boys had woken up to empty beds yet again, the girls nowhere to be found. For a moment, Bobby started to worry that there would be a Casa Amor repeat, but then they’d gotten the message telling them the girls were having a beach day away from the Villa, and that they’d be having their own lad’s day in the Villa, with beers and nibbles provided. 

Despite the boys’ initial enthusiasm for a day without the girls and the drama that usually surrounded them, they’d quickly grown bored and restless. So Bobby had dragged them all into a game of pirates, and he’d been pleased that all of the boys had participated enthusiastically, even the normally stoic Noah. _For someone so uptight, he sure can let loose when he wants to,_ Bobby thought as he watched Noah and Rahim swordfight with foam noodles. The game had ended with all of them floating around on the boat-shaped pool floaties and discussing their plans for after the show.

When they’d turned to Bobby and asked him who he could see himself ending up with, he’d simply smiled mysteriously. “That’s for me to know, and you lot to keep guessing at.”

“C’mon, that’s no fun!” Gary had groaned, but after they’d realized he wasn’t spilling, they’d left him alone.

The sun was already setting in the sky when they heard the crunch of tires on gravel, and they’d rushed to the front of the Villa. _Just like a bunch of puppies that their masters left alone all day,_ Bobby had thought, snickering a little. They skidded to the door just in time to see the girls piling out of two large Jeeps, looking exhausted but, thankfully, not as pissed off as they had looked last night. 

Before anyone could open their mouth to even say hello, Jude’s phone had rung. 

“Islanders, tonight you will enjoy a home-cooked feast prepared for you by one couple, chosen by our viewers,” she’d read. 

Bobby had immediately perked up. “Awright, pick me, pick me!” 

Elisa seemed equally as eager to make them her spring salad, but another text to Jude announced it would be her and Elijah cooking the meal. She’d blinked in surprise at the phone, before looking up to Elijah. 

“We’ve got this,” Elijah had declared confidently, and everyone had swarmed inside to get changed. An hour and a half later, they were all seated around the table, making small talk while they waited for Elijah and Jude to finish cooking. 

“Bobby?” 

Bobby blinked hard and looked around to see who had called him, and found Gary staring at him. “Um, pardon?” 

“I asked what you were staring at, but I think I’ve worked it out all by myself,” he grinned, looking slyly towards the kitchen, where Jude was portioning pasta into plates Elijah passed her. Bobby blushed slightly.

“What do you think they’re making?” Noah asked, twisting his body to look towards the kitchen. 

“Can we have a pizza place on call, just in case?” Jo complained. Bobby frowned at her.

“I’ll bet Jude can cook,” Chelsea quipped. “Whatever they’re making, it smells delicious.”

Jo rolled her eyes. “At least we know they’re not rushing the task. I’m starting to get a bit hungry now!”

“Anybody want to try to guess what they made?” Bobby challenged. “Closest one wins an extra portion!”

“I bet Jude’s one to go all out,” Chelsea posed. “It’s gonna be something fancy, like prawns.”

Jo grimaced. “Oh no, I hope it’s not one of those frilly meals with hardly anything to it… Here they come!”

He turned his head, and sure enough, Jude and Elijah were making their way over, pushing a dinner cart with fourteen plates, each under a silver dome. Bobby took a second to admire Jude’s dress, a pretty dusty pink number with a sparkling floral print and a side slit.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one checking out Jude’s clothes. “You look like someone straight out of my fashionista Insta search, babes!” Chelsea called, giving Jude a thumbs up. 

Jude grinned at her. “Aw, thanks Chels.”

“This is well fancy,” Gary said, his eyes fixated on the food cart. 

“Yeah, thanks so much, you two,” Ibrahim said, smiling.

“Looks absolutely lovely!” Chelsea said. 

“Um, Chelsea, it’s still covered,” Shannon pointed out. “You can’t tell what it is.” 

A few giggles broke out, but Chelsea seemed oblivious to them. “I’ll help,” she announced, getting out of her chair. She started to help Jude and Elijah pass the plates around to everyone. Once everyone was served, the three of them sat back down. Everyone lifted their silver domes, revealing steaming plates of pasta with white sauce.

“This must have been quite a lot of work,” Hope remarked from beside him, and Bobby was suddenly reminded that she’d mentioned before that she couldn’t cook. _So, yes, some pasta must seem like a tremendous task to her,_ Bobby thought, smirking to himself.

“Yeah, thank you so much,” Noah added politely, folding a napkin onto his lap.

“So what are we having?” Gary asked, looking hungrily at his plate. 

“We’ve made linguine with roasted garlic alfredo sauce for you tonight,” Jude explained.

Chelsea grinned. “Really? That sounds gorgeous.”

Graham nodded. “Nice. Some hearty carbs.”

“Isn’t pasta a bit basic, though?” Jo said, pursing her lips. A stab of annoyance shot through Bobby as he saw Jude frown down at her plate.

He rose to his feet and lifted his wine glass grandly. “I’d like to propose a toast for Elijah and Jude, our culinary hosts for the evening,” he announced. 

“Thank you so much, you two!” Lottie shouted from the other end of the table, raising her glass in turn. 

“Elijah, you’re a lucky guy,” he told him. Elijah seemed to blush a little. “Jude… You can do better.” He said, winking at her.

She snorted. “Wow, thanks, Bobby,” she drawled, grinning at him. 

“Anyway,” Elijah said, clearing his throat. “Dig in! Before it gets cold.”

For a few minutes, forks and knives clinked quietly against plates as everyone ate.

“Mm,” Graham mumbled, nodding at his plate. “The roasted garlic sauce brings it all together really nicely.”

“Yeah, it’s really nice!” Marisol agreed. “At least one of you must cook often, Jude?” She asked, looking pointedly at Jude.

“She tried to play it like she wasn’t much of a cook, but she came up with the recipe,” Elijah said, twirling some linguine around his fork. 

“All credit to her, then!” Bobby declared. 

“Er, I deserve some credit too!” Elijah protested.

“Hah, thanks guys,” Jude chuckled. “Elijah was a great sous-chef.”

Elijah looked chuffed. “Thank you, thank you!”

“I was wondering how those power dynamics would work out. I’d learn a lot about a couple if I watched them in the kitchen,” Marisol said quietly. “Did you two bond?”

Bobby stopped chewing and looked at Jude, suddenly very interested in the conversation. _Now this I want to know._ When it was revealed that the public had voted for the couple to prepare their meal, Bobby had wondered about the choice of Jude and Elijah. _Was it some kind of test? And if they passed, they got to get a special prize or something? Or was it just because they seemed like the couple who would get through cooking a meal with the least amount of arguing?_ He’d considered, looking at the other couples sitting around the table. With the exception of Graham and Marisol, he had a hard time picturing any of them making it though the kitchen without someone getting upset. _Or was it an opportunity for them to vote in a couple they thought could use bonding time? We all know the kitchen isn’t just for cooking…_

He snapped out of his thoughts as Jude shrugged one shoulder. “We had plenty of ingredients and we found our way through. Why would it be a huge thing?”

Bobby hid his smile behind a napkin as he pretended to wipe his mouth. 

Elijah looked crestfallen. “But you said you had a lovely time…” 

“I did,” Jude insisted. “It just felt like there were just a lot of expectations. From the viewers at home, and from you guys, for everything to be perfect. It wasn’t necessarily to do with you, Elijah.” 

“Very interesting,” Marisol said, seeming a little chipper than before.

“Glad we have the Marisol seal of approval,” Elijah joked.

Marisol rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

Graham laughed and draped an arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, it’s hard to win her over, mate.” 

“I have to admit, the texture of the linguine is just perfect,” Jo said from her end of the table, as though it pained her. “I guess you didn’t get distracted along the way?”

Bobby fought down his grin. “No kitchen bits, then? That’s good news.” 

There was a clattering sound as Noah dropped his fork down and frowned at his plate like his linguine had suddenly turned into earthworms.

Graham chortled. “’Kitchen bits’! That’s perfect, Bob.”

“Kitchen bits! I love saying that,” Elisa laughed. “See how many times you can say ‘kitchen bits’ fast. Kitchen bits, kitchen bits, kitten bits, kitchen chits, chicken itch–”

“I don’t know if I want to hear about anybody’s bits while I’m eating,” Marisol grimaced.

“Like, was proper hygiene used?” Jo interrogated.

“We didn’t do anything, Jude said kitchen bits weren’t her thing,” Elijah blurted. 

“Er, no, I said it wasn’t something I’d done before,” Jude corrected him. “Although I’m not opposed to the idea.” Her eyes darted to Bobby’s. “But no, we didn’t do anything. Your food is safe.”

“No kitchen bits took place,” Bobby nodded slowly. “It’s been noted for the record.” He smirked at Jude.

“Enough about kitchen bits,” Noah suddenly interrupted. “How was your day, girls?” He asked, looking at them expectantly.

The girls all glanced at each other. 

“It was nice,” Hope said tentatively.

Jude pursed her lips. “I mean, we still had some things that we needed to sort through, but I think we’ve worked everything out.”

Ibrahim’s face fell. “Oh. I hope there wasn’t more arguing about… You know, mine and Jo’s date.”

Shannon cringed. “Well, it’s not like we didn’t talk about it at all, babe.”

“Yeah, Shannon and Jo still had some things they need to talk about, but I think everyone’s made up now,” Lottie said. 

“Oh, that’s good,” Ibrahim said, sounding relieved. “Anyway, I know I’m not always the best at expressing myself. Actually, I struggle the most when it’s important. So I, uh, just wanted to say…” He gulped. “Jo and I did kiss on our date. It was unexpected, but it happened. I wish I had handled the situation better, in terms of talking about it with both Shannon and Jo before everything blew up. And I know we talked about it last night, but I realized that I never apologized for the way I handled things. I’m sorry to both of you.”

“Thanks, babes,” Shannon said, smiling warmly.

“Thanks babes,” Jo repeated. Shannon shot her a look, and she blushed a little. “Oops, sorry. I just repeated after Shannon, I swear. You’re not my babes yet. Or ever! Because you’re in a couple with Shannon and I’m not expecting anything—"

“I’m really glad you came out and took responsibility like that, Rahim,” Jude cut in, saving Jo from her word vomit. “That took a lot of courage and confidence, with all these emotions at stake. You’ve really grown.”

Rahim grinned at her. “Thank you for saying so.” He cleared his throat. “So, what else happened on the girls’ trip?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jo grinned. “Chelsea sorted us all into the Spice Girls earlier. That’s the other major thing that went on.”

“Which Spice Girl was Jude?” Noah asked absentmindedly, and Hope’s eyes narrowed on him.

“Why Jude?”

Noah blinked. “Uh, I don’t know, I said without thinking,” he backpedaled. “Which one were you, Hope?”

Hope stopped glowering, but her lips stayed pursed. “Chelsea decided I was Posh Spice.”

“And Scary Spice is Lottie, Sporty Spice is Jo, and we decided on Marisol to be Ginger. Oh, and I’m Baby Spice, obviously,” Chelsea chattered. 

“Sounds about right to me,” Graham said.

Bobby chortled. “Tough luck Jude, you didn’t even make it into the group!”

“Don’t worry, we’ve decided that those of us who didn’t make it are the backup band,” Jude told him, twirling her fork between two fingers like a drumstick. 

Bobby gave her a thumbs up. “Well done.”

“Each of us is a different fruit, but we’re all important to the sangria of the Villa, you know?” Chelsea stated like it made all the sense in the world. The boys shot each other looks of confusion, while the girls seemed unperturbed.

“Um, exactly,” Gary said hesitantly and patted her on the shoulder.

“Well, what did you boys get up to while we were gone?” Hope asked, picking her napkin off her lap and throwing it on top of her empty plate. 

Gary opened his mouth to answer, but Elisa stopped him. “Wait, I want to guess!”

“Ghost stories,” Jo proposed.

“In the daytime, babes?” Chelsea reminded her.

Shannon rolled her eyes. “I bet they made up some kind of lads’ game.”

“Or they had a candid discussion about their relationships and their feelings,” Marisol suggested jokingly. 

“Yeah, anybody think of that?” Gary said, and the girls looked at him in surprise.

“Ooh, did you talk about me?” Chelsea wondered excitedly. Lottie shot a look towards her.

Gary avoided the question. “Let’s have another girl guess. Jude?”

Bobby smiled. “She’ll never get it,” he said, poking at Jude’s competitive nature. She straightened and looked at him, slowly lifting an eyebrow. _Oh, it’s on_ , her eyes said. 

“I think Jude knows you guys quite well by now, so this should be good,” Elijah chuckled.

Everyone turned expectantly at her as she put a finger to her lips and pondered her answer. “I bet they were airing out all their fantasies.” 

“What do you mean?” asked Lottie.

“You know, letting their imaginations run free.” The boys all looked at each other and smirked. _Bingo!_

“In many ways, Jude is right,” Noah smiled. 

Elisa leaned forward and rested her chin on her folded hands. “Wow, do tell.”

Bobby kicked back and balanced his chair on its hind legs. “Sit back and let me tell ye a tale, girls,” he started, leaning heavily on his accent. He grabbed his napkin and waved it around. “It began atop the waterfall at the edge of the world—” 

“That’s what he calls the infinity pool,” Elijah explained. Bobby glared at the interruption.

“For now, it’s the ‘waterfall at the edge of the world’, okay?”

Elijah put his hands up. 

Bobby continued. “And then did many worthy ships make themselves known…”

“What is he talking about?” Bobby heard Chelsea whisper to Jude across the table. She shrugged her shoulders. 

“Ah, it was the best,” Graham said. “We found all these pool floats.” 

“And some of them were shaped like little boats,” Elijah added.

“And we were clowning around, making jokes about booty, and one thing led to another, and—" 

“Arr, but the booty be no laughin’ matter, King Garold!” Bobby yelled in his best pirate voice. A few of the girls started giggling.

Gary shook his fist at him. “I’ll revoke your captaincy, Long Bob!”

“I’m the captain of the Floater Fleet now, and King Garold is in Jacuzzi Jail for illegal pool noddle winnings,” Noah said. 

“Huh?” Elisa looked at him with confusion.

“We played pirates,” Noah clarified. “It was amazing.”

“Wow, babes,” Hope said, sounding impressed. “Well done on being the captain!”

Noah smiled bashfully at Hope, but Bobby noticed his eyes darting for just a second to the other side of the table, at Jude.

“Silence, landlubber!” He exclaimed, startling Noah and Hope. “Your booty is mine now under the couple laws of King Graham!”

“That’s right, I made the laws!” Graham declared. “As the king!”

“The Floater Fleet sails forth to sully your loathsome laws and reunite Captain Noah with the Lady Hope!” Noah shouted.

“Bring it on, you callow prince!” Graham challenged. 

“And I’m a skeleton pirate who was raised from the dead by the sea god Poseidon to stop a volcano from erupting!” Ibrahim added, puffing his chest. “It’s one of my comic ideas.”

“Wow, that’s cool,” Jo said, sounding like she didn’t quite understand but wanted to be supportive anyway.

“That sounds awesome!” Jude said. “I’m jealous, I wish I could have been there.” She looked at Bobby enviously. 

“Yeah, it was good fun,” confirmed Gary. “Just jokes. No drama.”

“It started off when we were messing about with the pool floats and talking about who we really wanted to end up with here, and who we could see ourselves dating seriously when we get back home,” Noah said.

“Wow, I’d love to hear more about that!” Chelsea quipped. 

“It wasn’t a serious chat, Chels,” Gary told her. “We were riding pool floats and jousting with noodles.” 

“I still would have liked to see,” she said, resting her chin in her hand and beaming at Gary.

“Hm, so would I,” Lottie said.

Hope suddenly froze. “Something buzzed!” 

Everyone looked around. Jude pulled out her phone. “Oh, guys, I got a text!” She opened her phone and began reading. “Jude and Elijah, congratulations on treating your fellow Islanders to tonight’s meal of linguine with roasted garlic alfredo sauce. Tomorrow night, the boys will choose who they want to recouple with, and the public will decide who picks first. Hashtag just desserts, hashtag decisions, decisions.” 

Bobby’s heart felt like it swelled to three times its size. _Finally,_ he thought excitedly. Jude looked up from her phone and her eyes met his, wide and filled with just as much excitement as his must have been. 

“I’m ready, personally,” Hope declared, grinning at Noah. 

“You don’t like being in a couple with privateer captain Long Bob Cupcake, Hope?” Bobby teased her.

Hope floundered. “Of course I do, but—”

“Relax, I was joking. Everyone knows you’ve been waiting for Noah.” _And I’ve been waiting for someone too._

“Time for bed?” Gary asked, rubbing his stomach. Everyone nodded and started getting to their feet, preparing to go inside.

Bobby got up a little slower than everyone else and hung back at the table. He tried to grab Jude subtly as she passed by him. “Hey, Jude?” He whispered. “Could we have a quick word in private? It’s about the recoupling.”

She looked back at the group walking away, and once she’d made sure no one was paying them any attention, she nodded. “Roof terrace?”

Bobby grinned. “Let’s go.” The two of them quickly slipped inside and through the Villa up to the roof, unnoticed by anyone. They sat side by side, their knees touching just slightly.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Jude asked, leaning casually on her elbow. 

“Not much,” Bobby said. “We didn’t see each other at all today, so I wanted to see how your day was really. You know, now that you don’t have an entire table of people looking at you.”

“You know, it actually wasn’t that bad,” she admitted, sounding surprised. “After last night, I thought there would be a lot more tension. And there was at first, but once we talked through things and hugged it out, everything went a lot more smoothly. I don’t think Jo likes me very much, but at least she stopped calling me names.”

Bobby frowned. “Calling you names? Like what?”

“Oh, you know…” She rolled her eyes. “Typical stuff. People-pleaser. Attention-seeker. She also implied I was trying to get back with Ram by causing all this drama between her and Shannon.

"Is she joking?"

"Right?! I was like, are you taking the piss? Didn't she see what happened when me and Ram were a couple? It was a total disaster. Why would I want to get back with him?" she huffed, running a hand through her hair. "Whatever. I could care less what Jo thinks."

Bobby smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, that's the spirit. I hope it wasn't all drama and you had the chance to relax a bit, too. That Spice Girls thing sounded kinda fun."

Jude’s lips spread in a slow smile. “Aw, yeah. It was. Chelsea was so cute with the whole thing. She kept trying to sort them into their songs, and they kept interrupting her with their drama, but she kept trying, poor thing. I almost offered we ditch the rest of them and make a two-woman Spice Girls.”

“I’d go see that,” Bobby said. “You and Chels prancing around on a stage, singing _Wannabe_? Hours of entertainment.”

Jude lightly smacked in in the arm. “Hey, I’ll have you know I’m an excellent singer! And Chelsea is… well, enthusiastic.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Bobby chuckled. “Anything else happen?”

“Not really. We got some manicure kits and did some pampering.” She waved her nails at Bobby’s face. “So sum total, not a bad trip. Certainly beats out Casa Amor.”

“Hah. Fair,” Bobby said, fidgeting a little. 

“Something wrong?” Jude asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

Bobby almost grinned at how well she seemed to be able to pick up on his moods now. “No. I mean, well, not really. Just…” He sighed. “With the recoupling coming up, I wanted to make sure we were… on the same page.” 

“You mean do I still want to recouple with you?”

Bobby nodded.

“Yes, definitely. If you still want to, that is.”

“Of course I want to!” Bobby said. “You’re— I mean— Ugh, how do I put this?”

Jude waited patiently as Bobby tried to figure out how to put his feelings into words. 

“It’s really rare for me to feel genuinely close to a girl,” he finally said, looking down at his palms. “Obviously, I’m mates with a lot of girls, but I don’t usually get on with them the way I do with you, you know?” 

“Um, well, good,” Jude said, and his eyes snapped up to hers. “Cause I was kinda thinking we were more than just mates. Would be a bit awkward if you felt the same way about me as you do about every girl you’re mates with.” 

Bobby laughed, the nervousness disappearing. “See? You just get it,” he said, draping an arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. “You’re pretty special.”

“You are too.” 

Bobby felt his heartbeat pick up in pace. “You know,” he said, “I worried a little that you might end up getting close with Elijah today. With the cooking and stuff.”

Jude leaned back to look at him. “Why? I told you, he’s just a mate.” 

“I know, but things like that can change. Case in point,” he said, pointing at himself. 

Jude rolled her eyes. “It’s not the same.” 

“Isn’t it?”

“No, it's not,” she insisted. “Besides, Chelsea fancies him so much. She’s been waiting for this recoupling for ages.”

“She’s not the only one,” Bobby said. “I know it’s only been, like, two days since the last one, but it’s felt like forever.” 

“Tell me about it. I’m ready to get it over with.” 

“Oi, glad to hear that I’m just something to get over with!”

“Shut up, you know what I meant,” Jude laughed, poking his arm. “I’m so ready to finally couple up with you properly.”

Just when Bobby thought his grin couldn’t get any wider, it did. “Yeah?” 

“Duh, you nonce.” 

“What a romantic,” Bobby teased her. 

“Oh yeah, romance isn't my style. But just you wait till I get my hands on you,” she said. “I’m gonna snog your face off.”

A shiver ran down Bobby’s spine. _Oh damn._ “Can it be tomorrow night already?”

Jude grinned. She leaned her face closer to his, until her nose brushed his cheek. “Want a teaser?” 

Bobby nodded, barely able to breathe as Jude pressed herself closer to him. Her hands slowly traveled up his arms, making the hairs on them raise with goosebumps. As he closed his eyes, he felt her lips lightly graze a path along the side of his jaw, his skin bursting into flames wherever it touched hers. Then she gently placed her hands on either side of his face, and brushed her lips against his, feathery soft. Bobby closed that distance and kissed her.

Fireworks burst behind his eyes, multicolored and plentiful, like the flowers in his Granda’s garden back in Kingston. He felt like a million thoughts ran through his head at once, but he could barely register anything beyond Jude’s mouth, which tasted like honey and sugar and vanilla and every flavour Bobby had ever loved. Her lips moved slowly against his, and he briefly wondered if all of this was happening in slow-motion. He carefully placed a hand on Jude’s hip, and she pressed herself a little closer. Bobby was sure she could feel his heart beating so hard it was like it was about to break through his ribcage and jump right into her hand. 

This was nothing like any first kiss he’d ever had before. It suddenly felt like a piece of the world had snapped into place, and as Jude pulled away after what felt like a millennium, Bobby knew that no matter what, nothing would ever be the same for him. 

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment. Jude’s cheeks were flushed, and Bobby would bet that his weren’t a far-off shade from hers. Her eyes were wide, and wonder shone in them. 

“That was nice,” Bobby finally said, swallowing hard. “Like, really, really nice.”

Jude pulled back a little. “Only nice?” She said, her features morphing into an expression of false outrage. 

Bobby tried to laugh, but it came out shaky. “I was going for understatement,” he said. “Like, of the century.”

“You don’t say.”

Bobby flicked her nose. “Oi, you. I’ve been waiting for this moment for twenty-one days. Let me be a little flustered.” 

Jude’s expression suddenly turned serious. “I’m sorry it took us so long to get to it.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Bobby said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was well worth the wait.” He pulled her to him again and softly kissed her forehead. “You were worth the wait.” He felt her smiling against his chest.

They were silent a few more moments, sitting wrapped in each other’s arms. _If I died right now, I’d die happy,_ Bobby thought, sighing deeply. “Speaking of waiting… We do still have a whole, entire day to until we can make this, like, official-official.” 

Jude tilted her head back. “Noooo, don’t remind me,” she wailed. 

“Maybe if we get to bed, it’ll make time go faster,” Bobby suggested. 

“I don’t think that’s quite how time works, babe,” Jude said, chuckling. “But sadly, you’re right. We should head in before that lot realize we’re gone.” 

“The only problem is that I don’t think I can actually move,” he said, pulling his arms a little tighter around her. 

Jude laughed. She slowly pulled his hands from her waist. “There,” she declared. “All done.” 

“My arms feel cold,” Bobby said, pretending to shiver. “Come back and warm them for me.” 

She grinned and shook her head. “Nope. That was just a taster. And as a wise lady once said, ‘if you like it, put a ring on it.’”

“Was that lady Gary’s nan?” 

“Obviously,” Jude laughed. “Anyway, come along. The communal bedroom awaits us.” 

“Do I really have to watch you go back over there and share a bed with Elijah?”

“Can’t be much worse than having to watch you share with Hope.” 

“Hah, true.”

“Maybe we should kick both of them out and make them sleep on the day beds,” Jude suggested. 

Bobby cackled. “C’mon, chucking Hope out in the cold? We’d never hear the end of it. She may try to have us both kicked out of the Villa.” He kissed her forehead again. “It’s one night. We’ve waited this long.”

Jude sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” She got up. "Right, I'll go in first and you follow in a minute, alright?”

Bobby nodded. He watched Jude walk over to the door and open it. Beyond it, the dressing room was empty, the other girls having no doubt already gone to bed.

Jude stopped on the threshold and turned back towards Bobby. "See you tomorrow," she said, then blew him a kiss before walking inside the Villa.


	8. The Love You Take

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warming for talk of depression and attempted suicide (not graphic).

##### Day 22

Bobby was jolted out of his sleep by a kick.

 _Wha—_ he thought, his eyes flying open. The bedroom was still dim, Noah’s snores echoing loudly in the silence. 

Bobby leaned back down, trying to shake the fog from his brain. Beyond the wall of pillows, Hope still slept soundly. _Great,_ Bobby thought groggily. _A kicker and a snorer. Those two really do belong together._

Once he figured out that going back to sleep was not going to happen, Bobby laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. _I might as well enjoy the lie-in. We’ve got a great day ahead._

A slow smile spread over his lips. Tonight, if everything went according to plan, he’d pick Jude at the recoupling, and they could finally, _finally_ be together. 

Bobby’s heart beat a little faster as he thought of their kiss last night. He could hardly bring himself to believe that it hadn’t been a dream. That none of the past few days had been a dream. _If it’s a dream, please don’t let me wake up,_ he thought, squeezing his eyes shut. _It’s too good._

Lottie let out a particularly loud snore, joining the chorus Noah had started, and Bobby’s head snapped up. _It’s like they’re trying to outdo one another on who can make the best whale impersonation._ He looked around at the other couples, but if anyone else was awake, they weren’t making much noise. Bobby craned his neck and looked two beds over, where Jude and Elijah were bundled up. He could just barely make out the top of Jude’s head where it peeked out from under the covers, her curls thrown in a heap on top of her head. She shifted under the covers, and only then did Bobby notice the whispers, lost under the cacophony of Noah and Lottie’s snoring contest.

“Shh, I didn’t say I wanted her to go home!” A voice that sounded a whole lot like Shannon’s hissed. Bobby saw Jude and Elijah’s heads snap up barely a millisecond before light flooded into the room. He slapped a hand over his eyes. 

“Has everyone been awake whispering all this time?” Elijah asked over the various groans of the Islanders. 

“I might have been whispering, but I wasn’t awake,” Chelsea quipped drowsily from across the room.

Bobby forced himself to open his eyes. All around him, everyone was sitting up in their beds, rubbing at their faces and stretching their arms over their heads to try to shake the sleepiness off. 

“Good morning to everyone except the scops owl who kept waking me up last night,” he yawned.

“Scops owl?” Gary asked, his voice still a little thick. “Is that some kind of nickname for Hope, now?” 

“No, Hope’s more of a jackrabbit than an owl,” Bobby chuckled. 

Hope gave him an annoyed look.

“Why did I wake up to so many people saying ‘scops owl’?” Noah asked, rubbing his eyes. “What’s a scops owl, anyway?”

“I’m glad you asked, Noah,” Bobby said, putting on his best know-it-all voice. “I was just about to explain. A scops owl is a local species of small owl with a loud, distinctive call. It sounds kind of like this,” he said, ululating a demonstration.

“Oh, I’ve heard that!” Hope said. “I thought it was an alarm.”

Elijah clapped his hands to his ears. “We get it, I think!”

“Wow, Bobby, you really do sound like a scops owl,” Jude said, rolling onto her side and propping herself up with a pillow. Bobby grinned at her.

Elijah looked at her in surprise. “You know what a scops owl is?”

“I thought it was something Bobby made up,” Graham said. 

Bobby rolled his eyes. “Should I be insulted that you all only believe it when Jude says it? I can’t believe none of you heard it last night!” 

"I heard it too," Jo admitted. "But I thought it was a car alarm. I can’t believe that was an owl!”

Suddenly, Elisa sat up in her bed, kicking at her covers. “An owl?! Where? Get it off, get it off!” She jumped and stood on her bed, clutching her duvet. “I don’t want any owls, go owls, out, out, out!”

“Elisa, there’s no owl in here,” Hope reassured her. “It was just Bobby making that sound.”

Elisa sat on her bed. “Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed in relief.

“Well everyone’s lively today, aren’t we?” Marisol chuckled.

“Now I’ve heard Bobby’s mating call, I’ve heard everything,” Gary said, rolling his eyes. 

Bobby stuck his tongue out at him. “You know, Gaz, your bed head looks like some ruffled owl feathers.” 

“Morning looks are all about the bedroom eyes, if you ask me,” Ibrahim said, looking towards Jo.

Chelsea nodded. “Definitely. I purposely don’t wash my eye makeup off before bed so that I can wake up with that smoky look.” 

Lottie frowned at her. “And it doesn’t make your skin break out?” 

Chelsea shook her head. 

“Some of us aren't that lucky,” Lottie mumbled. 

“Jude,” Bobby said, turning to point at her. “Sexiest morning thing, go!”

“Waking up naked,” she said without hesitation. “In clean, soft sheets.”

Suddenly, Bobby was hit with the image of Jude naked, stretched out in bed beside him in his room back in Glasgow as the sunlight filtered through the curtains and danced on her bare skin. _Woahhh._ He desperately tried to erase that picture from his mind as blood flooded down his body. He carefully adjusted the way he was sitting. 

“Aw, I just realized that this will be our last time waking up together in this exact group,” Jo said, suddenly changing the subject, and Bobby might’ve never been more grateful to another human being in his whole life.

Shannon frowned. “Oh, yeah, there’s a recoupling tonight…” Her face was filled with worry as Jo and Rahim locked eyes, and Bobby felt bad for her. 

“But right now, it’s still the morning, isn’t it? So why worry prematurely?” He told her, but she didn’t seem to register the words.

“All I’m thinking right now is what kind of cereal we’ve got in. I’m starving,” Gary announced. 

Bobby suddenly realized his stomach was rumbling. “Good shout, Gary,” he said. “We should have breakfast in bed, to make this morning memorable.”

“I could help bring things in from the kitchen,” Lottie offered. “It’s the least I can do, after Jude and Elijah served us that fab dinner last night.” 

“Cheers, Lottie,” Jude said from her bed.

“I’ll help too,” Bobby said, sliding out of bed. “What would you like, Jude?”

“Gary’s idea sounded good,” she answered. “Perfect morning for some sweet cereal and milk, innit?”

“It’s like you read my mind,” Gary laughed. “I bet we’d fancy the same kind of morning in, too.”

Lottie grabbed his forearm and towed him out of the room. “Come on Bobby, let’s see what kind of cereal there is in the kitchen.”

They got all the way downstairs before Lottie turned to Bobby. “Why the hell was Gary flirting with Jude?” She whispered. 

"Was he flirting?"

Lottie rolled her eyes. "'I bet we'd fancy the same kind of morning in, too,'" she mimicked in Gary's voice. "He stopped just short of asking her into bed."

“Oh." _Is that what that was?_ "Nah, I don't think so, that was just chat. You've got nothing to worry about, Lotta,” Bobby reassured her.

“It’s precisely because I know Gary that I’m worried,” she said.

“I don’t think it was anything, honest. Just some friendly banter. You know Gary, he'll flirt with anything that moves, but he'll always come back to you in the end.”

Lottie pursed her lips. “I wish I could believe that. But he's always had a thing for Jude. And she clearly fancies him a little, or she wouldn't have picked him on the first day.” She ran a hand through her hair. "Whatever. I'll have a chat with him later. " She turned towards the cupboard and opened it. “Woah, there are tons of cute little cereal boxes in here!” She shouted loudly, her voice likely carrying up to the bedroom. She began taking them out and pouring cereal into bowls, and Bobby followed with the milk. Then they each grabbed two bowls and made their way up the stairs. They began serving breakfast to the Islanders, who were all sitting in bed chatting enthusiastically. Bobby swallowed down a pang of envy when he saw Gary sitting on Jude’s bed, the two of them laughing heartily.

By the next trip, the girls had disappeared off to the dressing room to get changed, and Lottie left to join them, leaving Bobby to carry the last rounds of cereal.

By the time he came back, Jude was sitting at the foot of her bed again, wearing a purple holographic bikini and listening intently to the conversation. Her hair fell in waves over her shoulders and a pair of sunnies perched on top of her head. 

Bobby tried to follow what was being said. _Something about… birds?_

“Twuuu!” Bobby ululated jokingly, making Elisa jump. 

“No! No! Where is it? Get it off!” 

Laughing, Bobby made his way to Jude’s bed and sat beside her on the edge of her bed, his thigh resting against her knee. She smiled at him as he held out a bowl of cocoa puffs. 

“And for the lovely Jude…” He said with a wink. “Mind if I sit here?” 

“Hmm, I suppose you can stay,” she smirked. “But it’s not a truly luxurious breakfast-in-bed experience if I don’t have someone to feed it to me. What do you say?”

Bobby chuckled. “You’re a demanding customer, aren’t you? Alright, hold still…” He balanced his cereal bowl on the bed next to him and took Jude’s cocoa puffs back. He heaped a big spoonful of cereal and held it up towards her mouth. “Open wide!” 

Jude leaned forward, her mouth widening in a perfect O. But instead of the spoon, her lips found his finger. 

“Oh…” He swallowed hard as she raked her teeth teasingly across his skin, his heart thundering loudly at the smouldering look in her eyes. _Holy shit…_

“Delicious,” Jude declared innocently.

“I’m glad you think so,” he smirked as she licked her lips.

Jude leaned back a little. “I could get used to this. I feel like a princess.”

Bobby chuckled. “Does that make me your royal attendant?”

“Yep. I’ll have you polish my crown next.”

“What an honour,” he laughed. “Thank you Jude!”

“That’s Princess Jude to you!”

“Of course,” Bobby said, trying to look serious. “I’m so sorry, your highness!”

“Oh em gee you two, get a room!” called Chelsea.

Bobby’s eyes snapped towards her, then around the room. By the number of raised eyebrows, he gathered that his moment with Jude hadn’t gone unnoticed. Bobby felt himself blush. 

“We’re just messing around,” he said, shifting on the bed. “There’s nothing… inappropriate about it.”

“Then why are you blushing, babe?” Chelsea laughed, making him blush even harder.

“Are my subjects rebelling?” Jude thundered. “Let them eat cake!”

Chelsea covered her mouth to hide a giggle, and Bobby relaxed. 

“You know what would make this a perfect morning?” Jo said. “Cartoons!”

“Ooh, yeah,” Ibrahim agreed. “I love reading cartoons over breakfast on weekends.” 

“Mm-hmm, or watching them on the telly,” Jude agreed absentmindedly as she chewed on some cereal. 

“You mean like the ones for children?” Shannon frowned, and Rahim seemed to deflate a little. 

Jude’s eye twitched. “They’re not just for children,” she said. “Lots of adults watch cartoons too. Just look at Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and so on. Those are definitely _not_ for kids.” 

Rahim grinned widely. “Wow, I didn’t know you watched anime!” 

Jude blinked, as if she’d just realized she’d said something she didn’t want to admit. “Um, yeah,” she backtracked. “I mean, not a lot or anything. Though on weekend mornings Star Trek is my go-to.” 

Noah seemed to light up. “A fellow Trekkie!” He rumbled, his eyes sparkling excitedly. “Go on, who’s your favourite captain?” 

Jude looked uncomfortable. “I prefer Lieutenant Uhura myself, but if I had to choose, it’s Picard or bust.” 

“I knew you’d be a Next Gen girl,” Noah grinned. “Have you seen—” 

“Well, _I’m_ always telling my boss how a cartoon tie-in could be good for the Squiddles brand,” Hope said loudly, interrupting them. 

“Oh wow, I’d love to see a Squiddles cartoon!” Noah said excitedly, all thoughts of Star Trek apparently forgotten. As the conversation rolled away from Jude and onto hobbies in general, Bobby leaned towards her. 

“I didn’t know you were such a dork,” he teased her. 

Jude blushed. “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that.” 

“Don’t be, it was cute,” he assured her. “I just didn’t know you liked that stuff.”

“Most people don’t,” she admitted quietly. She seemed to hesitate. “It was my mum’s thing.” 

“What was?” 

“Star Trek. She was a huge fan. We used to do marathons where we’d binge whole seasons over the course of, like, two days. It was mad.” She looked down at the bed. “I miss it.”

 _Oh._ “We’ll have to do that together sometime,” Bobby suggested. 

Jude looked back up at him. “Oh no, you don’t have to—” 

“No, but I want to,” he said truthfully. This was something that mattered to her, and he wanted to learn more about it.

Jude smiled shyly, her eyes lighting up. “Sure. If that's what you want.”

“It’ll be the first thing on our to-do list when we get out of here,” he promised. “Oh, oh, and you can teach me how to do that hand thingy!” 

“What hand thingy?” 

“You know…” Bobby put his hand up in what he thought was the correct gesture.

Jude giggled. “Oh, the Vulcan salute!” She reached over and corrected his hand. “Live long and prosper!” She mirrored him and they grinned at each other.

“Jude, back me up on this,” Shannon suddenly said, snapping Bobby and Jude out of their conversation. 

“Huh?” 

“Don’t you think it’s important for couples to share interests?” Noah questioned, looking at her intently. 

“Professional interests matter, but hobbies?” asked Shannon.

Jude looked thoughtful. “I don’t know if you have to be into the same things as your partner,” she finally answered. “But it’s important to support their interests, and feel like they support yours too.” Her eyes slid towards Bobby and she smiled.

Shannon dug her heels in. “You can be supportive without wanting to hear about something all the time, too.”

“But it’s better when you can talk about things, isn’t it?” Noah insisted.

The conversation veered again, everyone discussing their various hobbies. 

“What would you enjoy the most, Jude?” asked Rahim.

Jude smirked. “Know what would be sweet? Baking with Bobby.” She winked at him.

“Oh, I want to bake with him!” Hope said. But you said you couldn’t cook, Bobby thought, perplexed.

“Extremely samesies!” squealed Chelsea.

Marisol nodded. “Me too, actually.”

 _Well, well, well, look who’s mister popular all of a sudden,_ Bobby thought, a little smugly. _Noah and Rahim and their six-packs can go suck it._ “Ladies, ladies,” he said, flexing coyly. “There’s plenty of sugar to go around.”

The girls all laughed, and Elisa began explaining her process for taking pictures for her socials. 

“What if I’m not into sharing?” Jude murmured, her lips tantalizingly close to Bobby’s ear. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized just how close together they were. His left side was entirely pressed up against her, and his hand rested on the bed a hair’s breath away from her bum. Bobby’s entire body yearned to just close the gap between them and pull her into a cuddle and kiss her everywhere. _Just a few more hours_ , he told himself.

He forced himself to get to his feet. “Right, I’d better go see if there’s any of that sweet, sweet cereal still going!” He declared, taking a hold of his empty bowl. 

“I’ll come with you,” Elijah said, following Bobby out of the bedroom, but Bobby didn’t register him, his mind still filled with buzzing thoughts of Jude. He was staring into space when Elijah turned to him. 

“Hey man, can I ask you something?” 

Bobby jumped a little in surprise. “Yeah! Um, I mean, of course, sure. What is it?” 

“I just wanted to see what your plans were for this evening,” Elijah asked. “Where your head was at.”

“You mean, for the recoupling?” 

Elijah nodded. 

“Yeah, I, uh… I had someone in mind,” Bobby told him, a little awkward. _Should I tell him I’m stealing Jude?_ He paused. _Is it even stealing if they’re in a friendship couple?_

He realized Elijah was staring at him expectantly. “Huh?” 

Elijah sighed in exasperation. “I was asking if you were thinking of picking Chelsea.” 

“Chelsea?” He repeated dumbly. “Oh! No, no, I’m not into Chelsea. I mean, she’s cute and all, but she’s not really my type.” 

Elijah nodded once. “Good, good. I don’t mean to sound territorial, but like—” 

Bobby clapped a hand to his shoulder. “Hey, I get it. It’s your first recoupling. These things are stressful. But I don’t reckon you’ve got anything to worry about. Chelsea fancies you a lot. She’s been going on about you ever since she brought you back to the Villa.”

Elijah grinned. “Has she?” 

“Like a broken record.”

“That’s my Chelsea,” Elijah smiled fondly. “Anyway, thanks man.” He clapped Bobby on the back, before walking away.

 _Everyone’s going to be on pins and needles today, aren’t they?_ Bobby sighed, turning on the tap and washing his bowl. He left it to dry on a towel and trudged back upstairs, making for the dressing room to change into his swim trunks. 

Noah was standing against the doorframe. His arm shot out as Bobby tried to pass. “Off-limits.” 

“But I need to change,” Bobby whined. 

“Sorry,” Noah said, looking awkward. “Hope said she needed to talk to Jude.” 

“What about?” 

Noah shrugged. “Dunno. But she said no access, so.” 

_Hope says jump, you say how high, got it,_ Bobby thought. “Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll just change later. Anyway, you excited for tonight?” 

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” 

“Who’re you picking?” asked Bobby. 

“Try and guess,” Noah said, rolling his eyes. 

_Jude._ “Hope?” 

Noah nodded, and relief flooded through Bobby. “We just want to get back together. It should be easy, but, well…” 

“You’ll need to fight me to get her. I get why you’re intimidated,” Bobby said, flexing at him.

Noah laughed. 

Bobby grinned. “No, but seriously. You two have the easiest job of any of us. You know what you want, just go and get it.” 

“Thanks, Bobby. I take it you’re feeling confident?” 

“Don’t worry about me, I’m sorted,” Bobby said, waving away his concern. 

“That’s good to hear, but don’t get too cocky about something that hasn’t happened yet.” 

Bobby frowned. _What the hell’s that supposed to mean?_ “Um… right.” He looked around. It didn’t look like Hope and Jude were coming out of that room any time soon. “I’m gonna go and try to find something to wear. Much as I love these,” he gestured to his cake-covered pajama bottoms, “they’re not very practical for a dip in the pool.” 

Noah nodded. “See you later, Bobby.” 

“Later, mate.” Bobby wandered away into the bathroom. He fished out the swim trunks he’d worn the day before out of the laundry bin. _If I don’t have another choice…_ He thought, resigned. He quickly washed them with a little soap, then threw them on and made his way back outside towards the pool. If he jumped in there before anyone could see him with his pants wet, no one would question it. Probably.

 _I sound proper dodgy,_ he thought. _As soon as they’re out of there, I’m going to get changed._

Bobby knew he should’ve felt embarrassed. People often told him it wasn’t manly to preen over his looks so much. But he fuck that. He liked looking good and feeling clean, going as far as to get monthly bum waxes, and if that meant preening, he could take it. _Besides, every guy here is just as preeny, if not more,_ he thought, looking over to the gym where Ibrahim and Graham were trading places on the weights bench.

Bobby barely had time to sit on the coping and dip his toes in when someone yelled behind him. 

“BOBBY!” 

He whipped around and almost yelped as he saw Hope barreling out of the Villa, running towards him at full speed. Jude ran after her, looking massively ticked off. 

“Hey! Bobby! Guess what!” Hope shouted again, running up before him. “Jude was just telling me—” 

Just then, Jude ran up behind her, skidding to a stop. Only, she seemed to misjudge the distance it would take her to fully brake. Her momentum propelled her into Hope, and she collided into her back. Before Bobby could even try to think about doing something, Hope was thrown forward, her arms windmilling as she tried to regain her balance. But it was too late. With a loud, drawn-out shriek, Hope fell into the pool, splashing everything. 

She emerged a few seconds later, looking monumentally pissed off. “JUDE!” She yelled, glaring at the girl still standing on the edge of the pool. 

“Oops,” Jude said simply, covering her mouth with her hands as if in embarrassment, though Bobby suspected it was a smile she was hiding. 

“Urgh!” raged Hope. She pushed herself out of the pool. “I’ll never be able to get the smell of chlorine out of these,” she said, flipping her braids. “Thanks a lot, Jude!” Without a backward glance, she slinked back into the Villa. 

Bobby chuckled as Jude sat down next to him. “What was that all about?” He asked, nodding towards Hope’s retreating form. 

“What was what all about?” 

“C’mon, you know what I'm talking about. Did you do that on purpose?” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jude said, smiling innocently.

Bobby smirked. “That’s too bad,” he said. “It was pretty funny. And deserved, to be honest. Hope needs a cool-down once in a while.”

Jude smirked back, but didn’t answer. 

“Anyway, what was Hope yelling like that for? Before she fell into the pool all on her own, I mean.” 

Jude chuckled. “Oh yeah, that. She was just coming to tell you that I wanted you to pick me at the recoupling. Figured I’d get in first and tell you myself,” she said, poking him in the ribs. “But you already knew that.”

Bobby’s heart did little flips in his chest. “I had a feeling,” he grinned. “But thanks for the confirmation. It’s a lot nicer to hear from you than Hope.”

“’Course.” 

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Bobby’s brain started buzzing. _Is this really what she wants?_ He wondered, caterpillars crawling around in his stomach. _I’m not just the last ditch option, the one she picked when all else failed?_ He needed to ask. Just once. Just to be absolutely sure.

“So… Maybe we should talk about it. The recoupling, I mean,” he rectified. “Are you sure it’s what you really want? I mean, this could be one of our last chances to recouple before we go home.” 

Jude frowned. “What are you asking, Bobby?”

“I guess what I’m asking is… Am I really the one you’re after?” He asked nervously. “You didn’t just pull my name out of a hat and go ‘he’ll do’? I know how things work around here. I know people call me the King of Friendship Couples.” He flushed, embarrassed. “Is that what… we would be, too?”

Jude’s expression softened. “First of all, that nickname is unfair. It’s not your fault none of your couples have worked out. Second of all, I don’t know what this is between us, but it’s definitely more than just friendship,” she said. “So, yes, I’m one hundred percent sure. You’re the one that I want.”

“Only one hundred percent?” He tried to joke away the nervousness. “Seems low.” 

Jude laughed. “Shut up, you know what I mean. There’s only one person that I want to pick me tonight, and that’s you.” She reached over and covered his hand with hers, giving it a squeeze.

If Bobby’s heart wasn’t safely encased in his chest cavity, it would’ve probably soared off by now. “Good,” he said earnestly. “Because there’s only one person I want to pick, and it’s you.” He paused. “Actually, I have another question. It’s a bit of a heavy one though, so don’t feel like you have to answer right away.” 

“Uh-oh,” Jude said, chuckling nervously. “Alright, shoot.” 

“I just wanted to know if you were serious about…” He gestured between the two of them. “This. I mean, do you think we could go the distance? It's one thing to like someone in here, and another to carry over to a proper relationship on the outside.” He paused again, but Jude waited patiently as he tried to get all his thoughts out. “I mean, you're probably the most fun, outgoing girl I know. You're so fierce, and brave, and funny. You keep me on my toes in the best possible way. You're like…" He grasped for the right words. "You're like sunshine. And I could really do with more of that in my life. You know, coming from Glasgow.” He chuckled, then took a deep breath. “So here it is: if I pick you tonight, am I just picking you for tonight, or is it a step towards our future?"

 _And there it is. All in the open._ He waited as Jude took a long moment to collect her thoughts. 

“I’m going to be completely honest,” she started hesitantly, and Bobby froze, bracing himself for the rejection. “I… I don’t know. I mean, you’ve seen how things have been in here. Nothing has worked out, for either of us. And maybe that’s due to who we’ve been coupled up with, but…” She hesitated. “Well, speaking for myself, this is how it’s always been. Commitment scares me,” she admitted, hanging her head. “When things get serious, I bail. It’s not something I’m proud of. But I came here because I want to change. So can I promise you forever?” She shook her head softly. “No. I can’t. But I can promise you that my feelings for you are real. They are so real, it fucking scares the shit out of me on the daily. But, at the same time, if you never take a risk, you’ll never do anything at all,” she said, and took a deep breath. She looked into Bobby’s eyes and squeezed his hand. “I want this. I want to take a chance on us. And I hope you’re willing to take that chance on me, too.”

Bobby tried to remember how to breathe. His chest felt tight, and he started to feel slightly woozy. He tried to suck a breath into his suddenly peanut-sized lungs. “I see,” he said simply, his thoughts still swimming. Until, from the tangle, three words bubbled to the surface: _I love her._

The shock of that realization almost knocked him over. He blinked, hard, at the girl sitting in front of her. _I love her,_ he repeated, the words sounding unbelievable even to himself. _I love Jude._ Because he did. He loved this proud, quick-tempered, sarcastic, stubborn hot mess of a girl. He loved how tough she was, willing to step up to anyone who tried to walk all over her. He loved how independent she was, how she did whatever she wanted and didn’t give a toss what others thought. But most of all, he loved the person she was under that armour of absolute confidence she tried to be so careful not to let slip. He loved how fiercely loyal she was to those she loved. He loved how deeply she cared for those around her. He loved that underneath it all, she was the softest person Bobby had ever known. He loved _her._

A slow grin spread over Bobby’s face. _I love Jude. Oh my God, I love her._ The thought made him giddy. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” 

His eyes focused back onto Jude, who was looking at him with a mixture of apprehension and amusement. 

“Yes,” he said. “Everything is great.” It took all of his efforts for the words not to roll off his tongue. _I love you, I love you, I love you._ “I’m glad you came to talk to me. I’m going to pick you tonight for sure.”

He almost laughed at the look of relief of Jude’s face. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah, of course! I actually can’t wait. You’re going to be there, looking all beautiful as usual, and I’ll be like ‘I choose Jude!’ And then we’ll officially be a couple.” 

Jude broke into a bright smile. “Bliss,” she sighed. Then suddenly, her arms were around Bobby’s waist. 

“Woah, careful!” He laughed, almost falling flat on his back. 

“Sorry,” she laughed with him, “I can’t help it! I’m just so happy I’m getting the guy I want!” 

Bobby’s heart drummed loudly in his chest. “I’m not a flipping handbag!” He laughed, rolling his eyes. “But I’m happy too.” _I love you._

He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. Then, in a sweeping motion, he gathered Jude up in his arms and jumped to his feet. 

“Bobby, what are—”

“Cowabunga!” Bobby yelled, and jumped into the pool. Jude’s shriek of laughter was cut by the water bubbling all around them. 

“You prick!” She yelled as they surfaced a moment later. “What was that for?” 

“Payback for last time!” Bobby grinned, splashing water at her.

Jude gasped. “Oh, you asked for it,” she declared, and swam after him. They spent the next hour chasing each other around the pool, splashing each other, battling with pool noodles. As the morning wore into afternoon, they found themselves floating on some of the boat-shaped floaties left over from the boys’ day and chatting about random stuff about their lives. Jude told him about her old dog, Perdita. 

“She was a stray,” Jude had explained. “Her name means ‘lost’ in Italian. And it’s the name of the mama dog in the 101 Dalmatians, so it was a no-brainer, really.” 

Bobby told her about his life back home. He told her about his friends from the hospital kitchen, Big Jonno, Louis, Dean, Aileen and Lennox and everyone. He told her about his family. About his mum, his dad, his sister. 

“I couldn’t imagine my life without them,” he gushed. He noticed her go quiet at this, so he quickly changed subjects and regaled her with horror tales from his dating past. 

“What do you mean, you don’t remember your first kiss?” Jude asked in shock when he mentioned that story in passing. 

Bobby shrugged. “The whole night is a blur, honestly. I was so shit-faced I barely remember it even happened. The girl was pretty disappointed, though. Apparently she’d liked me for a while, since we were teenagers. And I obviously had no idea, because, well…” He gestured at himself, blushing a little.

“I don’t know what you mean by,” she gestured at herself the way Bobby had done, “because you’re plenty desirable, mister.” Bobby blushed a little more. “As for the kiss, well, it’s a little disappointing, but maybe it’s for the best.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. First kisses aren’t usually that great, to be honest. Neither of you know what you’re doing. You just stand there awkwardly groping at each other until one of you gives up and leaves. It’s weird.” 

“Good to know I’m not missing out,” Bobby laughed. “Go on then, what was yours like?” 

“Just like I said. Awkward.” 

“Yeah, but how old were you? Where was it? With who? You know, all that juicy stuff,” Bobby pressed, nudging her float. 

Jude sighed. “Okay, fine. Promise you won’t the take piss?” 

Bobby shook his head. “Pinky swear.”

“I hope that actually means something to you, unlike Chelsea,” she chuckled. “Anyway. I think I was around… oh, I don’t know. Nineteen, twenty?” 

Bobby tried to hide his shock. _She’s only had her first kiss three years ago?!_ “Wow, and I thought I was a late bloomer,” he blurted. She smacked him lightly. 

“You promised!” 

“Sorry, sorry. I was just surprised!” 

“Everyone is,” Jude sighed. “I’m loud and aggressive and out-there, so a lot of people assume that I’m also very forward when it comes to stuff like kissing and sex. But, well… There’s a reason my number is only three.” She blushed uncontrollably. 

_Aww,_ Bobby thought. “You know, I’m not gonna pretend I’m not shocked. But it’s not something that takes anything away from how I feel about you,” he promised her. “Actually, I respect you even more for respecting yourself and waiting until it felt right.” 

Jude grinned. “Well, thanks for saying so.”

Bobby nodded, when suddenly a thought occurred to him. “Can I ask you a question?” 

“You just did,” Jude snickered. Bobby flicked her arm. “What? You had to know that was coming.”

“That’s so overdone.”

“Pfft, says the master of overdone jokes,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Go on then, ask your question.”

Bobby hesitated. “When Chelsea, um, spilled the tea so to say on, you know…”

“My big, fat crush?” Jude finished, arching an eyebrow. 

Bobby chuckled. “Yes, that. Well, she also mentioned something about… the night of the firepit.”

Jude immediately tensed up. 

_Fuck,_ Bobby thought. “Never mind, never mind,” he backpedaled. “Forget I said anything.” 

“No, no, it’s fine,” Jude said in a rush. “I just wasn’t expecting it. What did she say?” 

Bobby blushed. “Well, if you remember, that was the night I tried to go for it and, like… Kiss you,” he admitted. “Obviously, that never happened. But Chelsea mentioned that one of the reasons was you didn’t want to do it behind Rahim’s back, and the other was that you might’ve… been scared of something. And I was just wondering what that was. What you were scared of.”

Jude was silent for so long he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Then, finally: “Fricking Chelsea. If I didn’t love the girl so much I’d probably strangle her.” 

Bobby giggled, but turned expectant eyes at Jude. 

She sighed. “How do I explain this?” She rubbed her temples. “Priya coming in squashed things with Gary right in the bud. Then Rahim told me he fancied me, so I thought, eh, why not. We didn’t have the spark, that much became clear pretty much right away, but we still decided to try. You know, for the sake of the game. And then Lucas and Henrik came in, and, well, again, that was a different story. I thought they were cute, but I wanted stay loyal to Rahim. I figured I owed him at least that much, since I’d pretty much friend-zoned him by then.”

“Don’t forget, we were flirting pretty heavily during all that time,” Bobby pointed out. He remembered the slime challenge in particular, and how she’d rubbed her body all over him, instinctively knowing which places made his heart race, and shuddered at the memory.

Jude blushed. “I’m not forgetting,” she promised. “Anyway, came the day of the kissing challenge. When that last card came up, I figured, why not go for it? You were a plausible guess. Lottie was so upset at Rocco and Marisol that she was barely paying attention to anything going on around her, and all the other girls were too busy trying to appease her to really pick at the whys of my choice. So I went for it.”

Bobby remembered the kiss. How she’d marched straight over to him, a determined look in her eyes, rolled up on her tip toes and kissed him quickly on the lips. It wasn’t anything crazy compared to the full-blown snogging sessions Rocco and Marisol had just delivered, but it was more than the kisses on the cheek she’d given Gary or Lucas. 

“And that’s when I started looking at you as... potentially more than a friend.” 

Bobby smirked. “I always knew it would be my magical mouth that would win you over. Although I thought more jokes would be part of the affair.” 

“Someone’s a bit full of themselves,” Jude chuckled. 

“Hey, you would be too if someone fell in love with you after one kiss.” Even though that’s exactly what’s happened to me.

Jude rolled her eyes. “Okay, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said, and Bobby gasped in mock outrage. “But I definitely felt something different when I kissed you than I felt when Gary or Rahim kissed me. And I was planning on talking to you about it. See if maybe you felt the same. But then everything exploded with Lottie and Marisol, and, well…” She grimaced. 

“You got dragged into yet more drama,” Bobby completed. 

“Yeah, exactly,” Jude agreed. “And then I found you waiting by that fire.” 

Bobby remembered how nervous he’d been that night. He wasn’t used to being so forward with girls, but he’d had to know. He’d needed to know, once and for all, what Jude was to him. 

“When you came out and said, ‘I can’t stop thinking about that kiss,’ I wanted to shout, ‘Me too!’” Jude giggled, shaking her head. The smile slowly vanished from her face. “And then…” She hesitated. 

“What?”

“I got spooked.” 

Bobby let out an incredulous chuckle. “What? How? Do I look like Casper the friendly ghost, or something?” 

Jude chuckled. “No,” she said. “I’ve told you before, commitment scares me. I’ve never… I’ve never been good at it. My relationships have never lasted more than a month or two, because once it starts getting serious and the other person starts asking what we are, I run away.” She paused. “I’m not sure if I should be telling you this, so feel free to stop me if it’s too much to take.” She swallowed hard and was silent for a long while. Finally, she spoke. “My dad left us when I was five,” she said quietly, looking up at the sky. “He just walked out the door one day, and we never saw him again. My mum was in pieces. For the longest time, she could barely function. Didn’t eat, didn’t sleep. Eventually, it got so bad she tried to take her own life.” 

Bobby’s throat closed up. _Fuck,_ he thought, his eyes starting to prickle. _How much shit can one girl go through in her life?_

“I went to live with my aunt for a little while, while she got the treatment she needed. I was too young to understand what was really happening. I just knew my mum was really sick, and I couldn’t do anything to help her.” Her voice broke a little. “But she came back, thank God. She got better. There were still moments, you know, from time to time, but she made it through. _We_ made it through.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I might’ve not known what exactly had happened to my mum, but I understood enough to know it was because of my dad leaving. And when I became old enough to piece what had really happened together, I swore I would never let anything like that happen to me,” she said, a fierce look blazing in her eyes. “But that also meant that I was never able to let things get too deep. I was too afraid to care for someone and give them the power to destroy me like that, so I was always the one who destroyed everything first.” She paused. “I think that’s why I was so pissed at Noah, when he chose Blake that night. It was never about him, or Blake, or anything like that really. It was because for the first time in my life, someone got there first and broke _my_ heart, and not the other way around.” 

Bobby pulled her floatie towards him. Jude’s hands were clenched in tight fists at her sides. He reached over and took one of her hands in his, and as she relaxed, he wound his fingers through hers. He squeezed her hand as hard as he could. “I’m sorry that happened to you,” he told her, unable to put the full weight of his feelings into words. “And thank you for trusting me with it.”

Her head lulled to the side and she gave him a small smile. “Thank you for listening. It’s definitely not something I like telling people. Bit Shakespearean for an ice breaker, don’t you think?” She chuckled. “Hello, I’m Jude Duarte, I was named after a Beatles song, my dad left when I was young and my mum tried to kill herself. What’s your name?”

Bobby chuckled. “Aye, that’s a little dramatic,” he agreed. “But seriously. That can’t have been easy to share.”

Jude’s smile faded. “It’s not,” she admitted. “So yeah. The point of that story was, I was scared. When I realized that night at the firepit I might have actual feelings for you, I just… I freaked out. And I thought, ‘What if I fuck this up like I’ve fucked up every other relationship in my life?’ So I… I shut it down. It killed me, but I did it. I wasn’t willing to lose our friendship over a relationship that might be doomed from the start. But now…” Jude looked him in the eyes. “Now I’m tired of denying how I feel. When I’m with you, it feels easy to let my guard down. Let you see the real me, messy bits and all.” 

Bobby’s heart swelled. _I love you,_ he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to freak her out. _We aren’t even properly coupled up yet, for fuck’s sake._

“Love me some messy bits,” he joked, settling for comedy. We wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Jude laughed. “What are you like.” She took her hand out of his and rolled over onto her stomach. 

“Soooo…” Bobby trailed off. “Beatles song, huh?” 

“Yep.” 

“Which one was it? Paul, Ringo, George or John?” 

Jude looked at him in confusion. 

“Ah, bad joke,” Bobby apologized. “I was asking which of them was your father.” 

Jude burst into laughter. “Man, I wish! No, my dad was just your regular old deadbeat. At least if he was a Beatle, I’d have something to brag about.” 

“Not a good relationship there?” Bobby asked cautiously, not wanting to thread on more sensitive areas. 

Jude just shrugged. “I dunno. Haven’t seen the geezer since he pulled a Houdini on us.” 

“He’s never tried to contact you? Or your mum?” 

“No. Well, actually, that’s not true,” she said. “He sent a card when she died. Said he was sorry for everything, and gave me his number, and if I wanted to contact him, I could.” 

“And you didn’t?” 

“What do I have to say to the guy? He left when I was five. I don't know him. He’s a stranger to me. A stranger who gave his sperm to give me life.” 

“Well, that alone puts him in my good books for life,” Bobby joked. Jude gave him a flat look. “The rest of the stuff is a no-no, but I can’t help but be grateful. Without that sperm, you wouldn’t be here today, floating on this pool with me.”

“This was the plan all along,” Jude said sarcastically. “All the shit we’ve gone through, all so we could float on this pool in Majorca on this particular sunny day. Isn’t the universe just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?” 

“That it is,” Bobby laughed. “Do you believe in fate?” 

“No,” Jude scoffed. “I’ll leave all that new age, witchy voodoo stuff to Lottie. I’m the master of my own destiny, not some mysterious, unknowable force or some white dude with a beard sitting somewhere up in the sky who doesn’t know jack shit about me.” 

Bobby burst into laughter. “Wow, I love that. You should be a philosopher.”

“You think?” Jude grinned, pretending to stroke a long beard. “Yeah, you’re right. I bet I would rock the ‘white dude with a beard’ look.”

“Tell you what, we test that out for Halloween, and if it works we make it a permanent thing.” 

“Deal.” Jude leaned forward to shake his hand. “And what will you be, then?” 

“Me? I’ll be your trusty partner-in-crime, of course. The brown dude with a beard.” 

Jude giggled. “At least it’s not a cupcake, I suppose.” 

“Nah, I did that last year.” 

“Of course you did,” she grinned, rolling her eyes. 

Just then, a loud voice shouted from the Villa. “Guys!” Noah was waving his phone in the air. “I have a text!” 

Bobby and Jude looked at each other. “Recoupling time?” He asked, his eyes going wide. 

“Let’s go see,” Jude replied, but even she couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice. They paddled over to the side of the pool, and Bobby helped Jude off her floatie. They made their way over just as Noah started reading the text. 

“Islanders, at tonight’s recoupling, one girl will get to choose who she wants to recouple with. She’ll also get to make her choice before any of the boys. The lucky girl will be chosen by a public vote. Hashtag ladies first, hashtag one of the guys.” 

Everyone looked at each other, eyebrows raised. 

“One of us gets first pick!” said Jo excitedly, not-so-subtly eyeing Rahim.

“I hope it’s me!” Hope cried. Bobby rolled his eyes. _When is it not?_

“So do I,” Noah said, but he sounded nervous. His eyes slid towards Jude.

“I bet they’ll vote for one of the new girls,” scoffed Lottie.

“You think? I was going to put money on Jude,” Elijah said. 

“Me too, actually,” Bobby agreed. 

Jude just shrugged. “I’m just going to close my eyes and hope for the best, no matter what.” 

Lottie nodded. “I guess you’re right. There’s not a lot we can do about it from here, anyway.”

“Unless you cast some sort of spell,” Jude cackled. 

“No! That would be tampering!” Lottie protested, but she was grinning. “The only thing to do is to make sure we look fine as hell tonight.”

“You look fine every night, Lotters,” Bobby said, winking at her. She returned the wink. 

“Come on, let’s go and get ready!” Elisa said, grabbing Jude by the forearm and dragging her towards the Villa, the rest of the girls following suit. Before they walked through the door, Jude turned back towards Bobby. 

_Can’t wait,_ she mouthed. 

Bobby grinned and blew her a kiss, and then she was gone. 


	9. Where You're Meant To Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 84 years..... since I last updated this fic. I really apologize, but, life happens and I'm just doing the best I can. And I PROMISE, I will finish this story. It will probably take a long ass time and multiple mental breakdowns, but I swear I will do it. Thanks everyone for your patience, hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. ❤️

Bobby sat at the firepit, buzzing with nervous energy. Around him, the other boys looked equally as pants-shittingly scared. 

“I have no idea what to do,” Ibrahim was saying, looking a bit ill. “I mean, do I stick with Shannon? Or do I try to make a go of things with Jo?” He groaned. “Ugh, I hate this bit.” 

“Don’t stress about it, man,” Noah reassured him. “You’ll get up there tonight, and when you know, you’ll know.” 

“But the issue is that I _don’t know!_ ” Ibrahim moaned.

“Listen to Noah, mate,” Graham told him. “And follow your heart. If your heart’s telling you Jo’s the one for you, then go for it.”

Rahim rubbed at his face. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.” 

“You’ll figure it out,” Bobby reassured him. “We’ve got your back, whatever you do.” 

“Thanks, Bobby,” Rahim mumbled, giving him a grateful smile. “Do you know what you’re going to do?” 

“I’m sorted,” Bobby confirmed. The boys all looked at him in surprise. 

“Wow, Bobs, it’s the first time I’ve seen you so confident for a recoupling,” Gary said, his eyebrows quirking up. 

“Well, it’s easy to be confident when you’re sure of your choice.” 

“Who’re you choosing?” Rahim asked him curiously. 

“Patience, young grasshopper,” Bobby said, bowing his head. 

“Go on, mate, tell us!” Elijah pressed him. "Is it Elisa?"

Bobby shook his head. “Nope. You’re just gonna have to wait and find out like the rest of the world.”

“We’re all about to find out anyway,” Noah said, pointing at movement on the lawn. “The girls are here.” 

The boys’ heads turned faster than a mob of meerkats. Sure enough, the girls had descended from the dressing room, walking up to the firepit single-file. Bobby’s eyes fell on Jude, and his jaw nearly hit the decking.

She was wearing what could only be described as a dominatrix dress. It was dark red, leather, tight and short as sin. The neckline was something so low only someone like Priya would have dared to wear, yet Jude completely pulled it off, her breasts jiggling appealingly. She'd completed the look with straightened, slicked back hair, eyeliner so sharp it could have cut a diamond and dark red lipstick she must've borrowed from Lottie. Her heels were dangerously high, yet she showed no sign of teetering as she took her place in line between Chelsea and Shannon.

Bobby noticed, with some satisfaction, that the other boys were all staring in her direction, their mouths hanging open. He started smirking. _I’m about to be the luckiest motherfucker in this place tonight._

Jude spotted him looking and threw him a wink. He winked back at her. 

_Wow_ , he mouthed, and she started silently giggling, before being interrupted by a loud ring. 

“I’ve got a text,” announced Graham. “The results of the public vote are in.” 

A heavy silence settled over the firepit. 

“The girl who gets to choose who she would like to recouple with is…” He looked up from his phone and beamed. “Marisol.” 

Bobby breathed a sigh of relief. _Well, that changes nothing._ They all watched as Marisol stepped forward, looking a little nervous. 

“I’m glad I get to make this choice, because I know exactly who I’m going to pick,” she started. She glanced sadly in Jude’s direction, then looked away. _Huh? What was that about?_ “This boy is strong, he’s sweet, he’s everything I want in a man. And I think we’re going to go far together.” _It doesn’t seem like her heart is in it,_ Bobby thought in confusion. _But I thought she liked Graham?_ “The boy I want to couple up with is Graham. Of course.”

The rest of the Islanders clapped as Marisol and Graham hugged each and sat down. Bobby noticed Jude had lowered her eyes. _Is she upset that she didn’t get first pick? Or…_

Before he could think more on it, Noah’s phone buzzed. “My turn,” he said, standing up. He looked at Hope and smiled. “There are going to be no surprises here, I’m afraid. We all know who I’ve wanted to couple up with for a while now. The girl I want to couple up with is…” He seemed to hesitate, his eyes flashing away from Hope for the briefest of seconds. “Hope.”

_What is up with everyone tonight?_

Bobby gasped in mock surprise as Hope strode to Noah and wrapped him in a hug. “No way!” 

Noah rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Shut up, you.”

Hope smiled warmly as they sat down together.

The next two picks went without any surprises. Elijah chose Chelsea, who smacked a huge kiss on his cheek as she hopped into his arms. Next, Gary chose Lottie, who burst out laughing. 

“Why are you laughing?” Gary frowned. 

“Sorry, sorry! I’m not laughing at you,” Lottie assured him. “I’m laughing at me. While you were talking, I convinced myself you were gonna pick someone else.” She seemed to glance at Jude. “I got myself all worked up. So when you said the name, I was immediately like, ‘Ugh, I knew it! I’m so angry!’ Until a second later, I realised you did say my name after all.”

Gary relaxed. “Ha! So I take it you do want to couple up with me, then?”

“Is it that obvious?” Lottie said as she walked up to him and hugged him. Gary threw an arm around her shoulders and they took their seats under thunderous applause. 

A phone went off, and Bobby started to get excited until he realized Rahim had stood up. _Ugh, of course. Dear old Bobby, always last._

“My turn,” Ibrahim started, rubbing his hands nervously. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. I mean, we’re getting towards the final stretch now. So I think it’s really important to know what you’re looking for. You know, long-term.” He took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m choosing this girl. Because she makes me excited for the future we could have together. Even though we haven’t known each other very long, I’m already feeling a real spark between us. And that’s a great sign of things to come.” 

_He isn’t actually—_

“So the girl I want to couple up with is… Jo.”

As soon as he said her name, Jo strode into his arms for a hug. _Well— That’s– Okay then…_ Bobby thought in disbelief. He spotted Jude frowning as Jo and Rahim sat together, half-heartedly joining in with the applause. _She must’ve thought he would stick with Shannon,_ he realized.

Finally, his own phone buzzed. “Looks like I’m going last, guys,” he announced jovially, standing. He took a moment to look around at his options. 

Elisa looked at him confidently, shaking her hair behind her shoulder. Shannon was staring blankly at the fire in front of her, looking more alone than ever. Bobby’s heart tightened for her. He could imagine how awful it felt to stand there, knowing no one was choosing you. He felt like he was robbing her of her spot. _Don’t think like that,_ Bobby tried to reason. _You’re not the only one who didn’t choose her tonight._ But he couldn’t shake the feeling that if any of them went home, it would be his fault. 

“This is probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do since I came to the Villa,” he admitted. “There are three girls left, and the rules say I can only pick one of you. Obviously, if it was up to me, you would all get to stay and we would be one big happy family. But I have to go with my gut. Or rather, you know, my heart,” he said, and finally looked at Jude. She was smiling brightly back at him, and warmth flooded his chest. “And on that front, I already know what to say. It’s no contest, really. And that’s nothing personal to the rest of you! It’s just, this girl…” He trailed off. _I love her,_ he wanted to say. “She’s something truly special. She’s the one I want by my side right now. No matter what happens next, I would always choose her.” He saw Jude’s eyes widen. “The girl I want to couple up with is… Jude.”

As soon as he said her name, Jude took off running. _How is she doing that in those heels?_ He barely had time to wonder before he was being tackled into a hug. He let out a surprised laugh as he took a step back, steadying himself. 

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

He held her tight and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I meant everything I said. No matter what happens next,” he repeated, he could have sworn he saw tears shimmering in Jude’s eyes as she pulled away. She took his hand and led him to the bench. Smiling, he let her do it, and they sat down together. Bobby put a hand around Jude’s waist and she leaned against him. She smelled good, like honeysuckle and oranges, the smell reminding him of the smell of his Nanna’s kitchen in Jamaica. _She smells like home,_ he realized happily. Looking around the circle, he noticed many-a-raised eyebrows. The boys in particular seemed a little flabbergasted by this turn of events, but they cheered on Bobby and Jude enthusiastically. 

“Get in there, mate!” Gary said, his grin stretching from ear to ear. 

“Good for you, Bobster!” Graham joined in, his claps ringing loudly in the night. 

“I’m so pleased for you,” Chelsea squealed, giving him a wink. Bobby laughed. 

“Thanks, guys,” Jude said. Her mouth seemed glued into a smile. _Hah, I must be looking equally as goofy,_ Bobby thought. _But I don’t care._ He gave Jude’s waist a squeeze, the leather of her dress crunching slightly under his fingers.

As the applause died down, the Islanders all turned to look at Shannon and Elisa, still standing alone in front of the group. Elisa looked disappointed, and Shannon just wore an expression of defeat. Bobby’s smile faded. _Now it’s time for the not-fun part,_ he thought, bracing himself as Shannon pulled out her phone.

“Shannon, Elisa, as you have not been chosen, you will be dumped from the Island,” she read, her voice empty. “Please get ready to leave the Villa immediately.” 

The surviving Islanders sat in heavy silence as Shannon and Elisa walked back into the Villa to fetch their bags. Minutes later, everyone gathered outside the Villa’s main entrance. 

“Poor girls,” Bobby murmured. “I feel so bad for sending them home.”

“It’s not your fault, Bobby,” Marisol reassured him. “You had to choose someone. Two girls would have been going home either way.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” he said glumly. “I just hope they don’t hold it against me.” 

“I’m sure they won’t,” Jude said softly. “Look, for what it’s worth, I think you made the right choice. And I’m not just saying that.” 

Bobby squeezed her hand and gave her a nervous smile just as Elisa and Shannon emerged from the Villa with their suitcases. Everyone huddled around them to say goodbye.

“Bye, everyone!” Elisa said, trying to seem cheery. “I’m so, so sad we didn’t have more time to get to know each other.” While she talked, she went around the circle, hugging and air-kissing everyone in turn. “The last few days have been just the most special, amazing time. I’ll never forget a minute of it. And it’s all thanks to you lovely people. I’m gonna miss you.”

“We’ll miss you more!” Bobby told her as she hugged him. 

“We’re all going to stay in touch, yeah?” 

“Of course!” squealed Chelsea. “Once a girl squad, always a girl squad!”

Lottie smiled. “We’re going to make that collab happen, like, the day I get home.”

“I’ll hold you to that!” Elisa smirked. Getting to Jude, she paused. “I’m especially going to miss you, Jude. If only we’d met in different circumstances, I think we could have been… close.” 

Jude’s eyebrows shot up, but she quickly shook off the surprise. “Bye, Elisa. I’ll miss you too. Let’s hang out when this is over, shall we?”

Elisa smirked. “Hmm, tempting. We’ll see. I might not have any openings in my schedule by then!” She winked. Taking the handle of her suitcase, she waved around at the group one last time, then turned and sashayed down the drive. 

“What was that all about?” Bobby whispered at Jude. 

Jude chuckled. “I think that was Elisa’s last try at grafting.” 

Bobby’s mouth dropped open. “Wha— But you— She—” He floundered. 

Jude giggled and pressed a finger to her lips. “We’ll talk about it after,” she said, as Shannon cleared her throat. 

“My turn to say goodbye, I guess,” she started. “I can’t match Elisa for speeches. But I really am glad I got to meet you all! So, um, bye. Take care of yourselves.”

“You too, babes!” cried Chelsea, wrapping her in a hug. 

“We’ll miss you,” Gary said. 

“So much,” Jude added. Bobby noticed she looked genuinely distraught at Shannon’s departure. _Her friends keep getting booted out of the Villa,_ Bobby thought. _First Priya, now Shannon… At least Chelsea’s still here._

“I’ll miss you too, Jude. Let’s keep in contact, yeah?”

“Definitely,” Jude confirmed. “We’ll swap numbers the second I’m out of here. Take that trip to Monaco like we talked about.” 

“It’s a deal,” Shannon smiled and reached for her suitcase. She took a step, then paused, looking straight at Jo. Her eyes narrowed.

“Actually, there is one thing I wanted to say before I went,” she said, and Rahim tensed up. “I wouldn’t be leaving at all if _somebody_ hadn’t gone and coupled up with my partner.”

“Shannon—” Ibrahim tried to interrupt, but Shannon held up one finger and he backed down. 

“All I want to say is… It’s cool.” She sighed. “I came here to play the game, and I got outplayed, fair and square.”

“So you’re not angry?” Jo asked, sounding doubtful. 

“I mean, it’s not ideal for me, obviously,” she admitted. “But the main thing is, I hope you and Rahim are happy together. I’ve always said we get what we deserve in here. If that means you get to stay while I have to go home, I won’t hold that against you.”

“Oh! Right,” Jo said awkwardly. “Er, thanks.”

Rahim’s smile was full of relief. “Thanks, Shannon. I’ll miss you.”

Shannon smiled sadly. “I’ll miss you too, handsome.” And with a final nod, she turned and walked away after Elisa.

“Well, that was nice of her,” Ibrahim said. 

“I wonder if she really meant it,” Jo asked, but from the tone of her voice, it was clear what her opinion was. 

“I think it was nice of her to let her guard down like that,” Jude mused. “I guess now she’s been dumped, she doesn’t have anything left to gain by being cagey.”

Jo bristled. “So in her natural state, she’s super laid-back and cuddly?”

Bobby was taken aback. _Oh, hey, woah, what’s going on here?_

But Jude didn’t seem fazed by Jo’s sudden outburst. She rolled her eyes. “OK, maybe that’s putting it a bit strong. But I think we just got to see what passes for Shannon’s sweet side.” 

Jo continued to glower at Jude, but Ibrahim put an arm around her shoulders and she seemed to relax a bit. “That’s so nice,” he said. “I’m glad she made an effort to leave on a positive note. Right, babe?” 

“Hmph. I guess,” Jo said. 

They all watched as Shannon and Elisa’s van rolled further and further away from the Villa, becoming a small dot, until it eventually melted into the dark night. The remaining Islanders started to head back inside. 

“I need the loo,” Bobby declared. “All these emotions aren’t good for my bladder.” 

Jude giggled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll wait for you in the garden.” 

Bobby grinned and jogged off to the bathroom. A few minutes later, having taken care of business, he headed down to the kitchen. 

Gary, Chelsea and Elijah were sat around the island as Lottie fixed them some drinks. “If it isn’t the man of the hour!” Gary announced, spotting him first. The rest of them turned towards Bobby. “So, you and Jude, huh?” 

Bobby felt his mouth widen. “Yeah…?” 

Gary smirked. “I think you’re going to be really good together.” 

“Yeah, you’ll make a really cute couple,” Lottie agreed, giving the cocktail tumbler a shake. “I mean, you’ve been head over heels for her for so long. I hope it works out for you.” 

“Thanks Lottie,” Bobby grinned, and the goth’s lips stretched in a smile. 

“So that was the big mystery?” Elijah asked. Bobby looked at him in confusion. “At the recoupling, when you wouldn’t tell us who you were picking.” 

“Ah, yeah,” Bobby chuckled. “Couldn’t go ruining the surprise, could I?” 

“Babes, none of us were surprised,” Chelsea giggled. “The way you were looking at each other, I was like, swoon!” 

“Yeah,” Lottie smirked. “I think I’m speaking for everyone when I say we’d really appreciate it if the two of you kept your eye-fucking to a minimum, in the future.” 

Bobby reddened. “We weren’t—” 

Thankfully, he was saved from further embarrassment by Ibrahim barreling into the kitchen. “Oh fantastic,” he gasped when he saw the cocktails Lottie was pouring into wine glasses. “Can I have three of those?” 

“What’s up, big man?” Gary asked, noting Ibrahim’s flustered state. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Ibrahim said, the words too rushed to have the casual effect he’d intended. “Oof, it’s just really hot tonight. I promised Noah and Jude some drinks.”

“You can have those, Rahim,” Lottie pointed to the drinks she’d just made. “I’ll just whip us up another batch.”

 _Noah and Jude?_ Bobby thought. “I can take them over for you if you’d like,” Bobby offered. “I was going to see Jude anyway.”

Ibrahim looked relieved. “Thanks, man. They’re over there by the daybeds.” 

Bobby followed his line of sight, and spotted Noah and Jude sitting on one of the daybeds. Noah threw back his head and laughed uproariously. Noah _is laughing?!_ Bobby thought incredulously. 

He took a glass with each hand and balanced the third carefully between them. As he approached the daybeds, he could tell Jude and Noah were deep in conversation. Noah was leaning on his arm, his hand braced on the bed right behind Jude’s back. The posture was too deliberate to be casual. 

Bobby shoved down the flicker of jealousy that ignited in his gut. _Get a grip,_ he told himself. _She chose you. You’re in a couple with her. Stop overthinking it._

“I asked Elisa about whether they all had weird names,” Noah was saying as Bobby got close enough to catch drifts of their conversation. “I figured she would be the one to know stuff like that.”

“Yeah?” asked Jude. “What did she say?”

“She told me all hers have normal names, but the example she gave was ‘Parrot Purple,’” Noah frowned. _Uh, what?_

Jude chuckled. “Right, so that didn’t really clarify anything. You know who you should ask? Chelsea. She’s a decorator, so she knows all about colour theory and stuff like that. I’ll bet she’ll have the answers.” 

“Yeah, but she’s an interior decorator. That doesn’t include decorations for your body. Or does it?!” 

Before he could say anything else, Bobby pulled up next to them. “Hey guys! What’s up?” 

Jude’s face lit up at the sound of his voice, and Bobby couldn’t stop the smile that spread on his lips.

Noah jumped and moved slightly away from Jude. _Just as I thought. Not casual._ “Nothing much,” he said. 

“I bumped into Ibrahim in the kitchen and offered to bring these out to you,” he said, offering the drinks. Jude and Noah each took one. “I told him I needed an excuse to come and see Jude.” He kissed her on the cheek, and he felt Jude smile. “Cheers!” 

“What should we toast to?” Noah asked, and Bobby could have sworn he saw jealousy flicker in his eyes.

“We should toast to me and Bobby,” Jude said, winking at him. “It’s been a long way, but all’s well that ends well. And it has ended well for us, at least.” 

Bobby clinked his glass to Jude’s and smiled. 

“To Jude and Bobby!” Noah raised his glass, then put it to his lips. They all sipped quietly at their drinks for a moment. 

“It’s getting pretty late,” Noah remarked. 

“Yeah, I guess we’ll be heading to bed soon,” Jude said.

“Actually,” Bobby blurted out, “I was going to suggest… Jude, do you want to come up to the roof terrace with me? For a bit of quiet time. Just the two of us.” He tried not to blush. 

Jude grinned. “Alone time would be great.” 

Bobby grinned in turn. “Great.” He took her hand and helped her off the bed.

“Have fun, you two,” Noah called after them, a bit flatly. Jude waved back at him with her glass. 

_What was going on there before I interrupted?_ Bobby wondered. _They couldn’t possibly…_ He swallowed down his doubts. _No. I trust Jude. If she said she’s done with him, then she’s done._

Up on the roof terrace, the air was quiet. Bobby sat down on the bench, and Jude sits close to him. They looked up at the night sky, silent for a moment. 

“You never see this many stars at home,” Bobby said. “It’s breathtaking. It’s like the whole universe has come out just to see us.”

“Tell me about it. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to take out my telescope and just sit and enjoy the quiet.” 

_That’s right,_ Bobby suddenly remembered, _her mum was an astrophysicist._ “What sort of stuff do you even look for? I wouldn’t know where to begin,” he said, looking up at the overwhelming amount of stars. 

Jude’s face lit up. “Oh, there’s so much to see if you just know how to look.” She tilted her head closer to his, and he sucked in a breath as her hair came to brush against his cheek. “See up there?” She said, pointing up to the sky and tracing a shape with her finger. “That’s the Libra constellation. My favourite.” 

“Why, is that your sign?” 

Jude rolled her eyes. “Hah, no. I don’t believe in that stuff. But Lottie told me I’m a Leo, whatever that means.” 

_Of course she’s a fire sign,_ Bobby thought, smiling to himself.

“No,” Jude continued. “I love it because it has one of the oldest stars in the universe in it. It’s called Methuselah. It was formed just after the Big Bang. That’s nearly _fourteen billion_ years ago! Can you believe something that old still shines in the sky today?”

“Wow,” Bobby agreed, trying to imagine a span of time that huge, and finding he couldn’t. “That is impressive.” 

“I love the constancy of it all,” Jude mused, apparently not hearing him. “When things get too much and I start losing my mind, I look to Methuselah. And I tell myself, if he can make it fourteen billion years and still find a way to shine, I can make it through my insignificant bullshit. You know?” 

Bobby nodded. “So do you need to look to Methuselah now?” 

Jude looked down and smiled at him. “No. I think for the first time since I’ve been in this Villa, I feel one-hundred percent sure of where I am.” 

Bobby grinned. A warm breeze floated past them and blew a strand of hair in Jude’s face. Bobby reached and tucked it back behind her ear. His hand lingered on her cheek, slowly trailing down.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. 

Jude’s eyes widened, and he felt her pulse quicken under his hand. Slowly, as if in a dream, she closed the gap between them and kissed him. 

If their first kiss had been all honey and sugar, their second one was pure electricity. Bobby thought that if someone plugged him into all the sockets of the Villa, he could light up the mansion all on his own. 

He rested his palm on Jude’s neck, pulling her closer, the other hand going to her hip. He felt her shudder slightly as she pressed herself up against him, her hands looping around his torso. Bobby ran his tongue over her bottom lip, gently requesting access. Jude’s mouth opened and her tongue slipped around his. It tasted minty, like her toothpaste, but also like sunshine, as if she radiated pure light from inside. 

Bobby moaned, his hand squeezing her waist. Jude’s hands slid up into his hair. Her fingers slipped between his dreads and she clutched at them, her nails scraping gently against his scalp and sending electric shivers down Bobby’s spine. He ran his hand down her side, following the curve of her body to her thigh, her skin hot under his palms. All of a sudden, in a swift movement, Jude pushed herself up. Bobby’s hand froze, but instead of pulling away, she straddled him, her thighs on either side of him. Bobby tightened his grip on her, running his hands up her thighs to grab her bum, catching the material of her dress, which was now bunched up on her bum. As Jude kept kissing him hungrily, her chest heaving against his as they both struggled for air, Bobby felt himself getting hard. _Need to stop,_ he tried to form a straight thought. _Before…_

Very reluctantly, he pulled away from Jude. They both stared at each other, trying to catch their breath. 

“That’s it,” Bobby said, sounding dazed even to his own ears. “You’ve ruined kissing for me.”

Jude looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“Because anyone else would just be disappointing by comparison, obviously.”

She laughed. “Guess you’ll have to stick with me, then,” she said, leaning to peck his mouth, and a thrill ran through him at the words.

“Seriously,” Bobby said. “That kiss was out this world.” He pulled her down to him and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her honeysuckle smell. _Never letting go_. “I care about you so much.” 

“I care about you, too,” she murmured. Bobby’s heart tittered happily.

“I’m so glad I got to choose you tonight. Honestly, I think I would have died a bit inside if someone had snapped you up tonight before I could get to you.” 

“Well, they didn’t. So don’t think about it.” 

Bobby laughed. “You’re right. There’s no point thinking about that right now. I’m just going to appreciate the moment.” Suddenly a thought occurred to him. “Say, why was Marisol looking at you all sad like that when she got voted in?” 

Jude’s hands slid off his shoulders. “You noticed that?” 

“Maybe…” he said nervously, as she stared down at her hands, then sighed. 

“I might as well tell you,” she said. “It’ll all come out when we’re out of here anyway.” She took a deep breath as Bobby looked at her expectantly. “We had a fling while we were in Casa Amor.” 

Bobby sucked in a sharp breath. “You and—” 

Jude nodded. 

“Wow,” Bobby said, blinking hard. “That’s a surprise. I mean, not totally, I knew you were both bi,” he rambled. “But I didn’t know you were interested in Marisol.” 

“I’m not, which is why I broke it off,” Jude said. “I mean, Marisol is a beautiful girl, obviously, and I like her tons, but the chemistry just wasn’t there between us. Same as with everyone else, I guess.” She shrugged. “Except you, of course. But, yeah. We’re just friends now.” 

“Hmm,” Bobby hummed, thinking over Marisol’s expression as she recoupled with Graham. _She must still have feelings for Jude,_ he realized. _And if they had wanted to couple up, this would have been their only shot, with the two extra girls in the Villa. Would I have ended up with Shannon then? Or—_ “So was that why Elisa flirted with you when she left just now?”

Jude let out an embarrassed chuckle and scratched her head. “Babes, Elisa’s been flirting with me since she got here.” 

“Wha—” 

“Had you really not noticed?” She asked him, looking amused. 

“No!” Bobby said, his cheeks colouring red. 

Jude laughed. “Boys, you’re always so oblivious. She asked Elijah on a date that first day because she thought it would make me jealous. Right idea, wrong boy,” she said, sounding contrite. “And on the girls’ day, she got me alone and tried for a kiss.” 

Bobby’s eyes widened. 

“Don’t worry, I didn’t kiss her,” Jude said quickly. “Not because of you or Elijah or Marisol or anything like that. I just didn’t fancy her.”

“Oh,” Bobby said, relaxing a little. “But she’s gorgeous!” 

Jude whacked him on the chest. 

“Not as gorgeous as you, obviously.”

“Nice save,” she drawled. “Elisa can be gorgeous all she wants, she still isn’t my type.”

“What is your type then?” 

Jude thought for a second, then a smirk spread over her mouth. “'I like big boys, itty bitty boys. Mississippi boys, inner city boys. I like the pretty boys, with the bowtie. Get your nails did, let it blow dry. I like a big beard, I like a clean face. I don’t discriminate, come and get a taste,'” she rapped, bouncing on his lap. 

Bobby burst into laughter at the hilarity of it all. “You’re so funny.” _I love you._

“I know.” She smirked. “Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

Bobby felt his face burn. “I’ve been known to carry a cucumber as an emergency snack.”

“I’ll bet,” Jude giggled, then leaned down and gave him a short kiss. He felt her smile against his lips. “You’re my type.”

Bobby grinned. “And you’re mine.” 

“Don’t be a melt,” she said, rolling her eyes, but she grinned all the same. 

“You were a melt first.” 

“Was not,” she giggled. “I’m cool. Cold. Frozen. Not melting at all.”

“Uh-huh,” Bobby chuckled. He grazed her cheek with the tip of his fingers. “And stubborn, too.” 

“Am not,” she protested, still giggling. 

Smiling, he tipped her head forward and rested his nose against hers. “Boop.”

“Boop yourself.” 

“The boopiest of boops,” Bobby agreed. “I like saying that. Boopiest.” He giggled.

Jude leaned back. Bobby looked around, and noticed how quiet the terrace had gotten. Not a sound drifted up from the garden. _People must have gone to bed,_ Bobby realized, suddenly noting how tired he himself was. “We should head to bed,” he said. As soon as he spoke, a yawn bubbled past his lips.

Jude pouted. “Must we really?” 

“Yes, sadly we must,” Bobby confirmed. “I’d spend the night out here if we could, but it’s bound to get cold.” 

Jude sighed dramatically. “Well, then I suppose, if we must…” She grinned at him. “Gotta say, I’m excited to finally be able to head to bed with you without setting tongues wagging.” 

Bobby grinned as he realized it was true. Tonight would be their first time properly sharing a bed as an official couple. 

Jude continued. “Slightly less excited for Lottie and Noah’s nightly concert, but what can you do.” 

“Speaking of, seems like you and Noah have buried the hatchet? You were talking to him earlier,” he explained at her confused look.

“Oh, at the daybeds?” She said, realization dawning upon her. Bobby nodded. “Yeah. He came to me to apologize. Said he realized the way he’d treated me was unfair and asked me to forgive him.”

“And did you?”

Jude hesitated. “Not quite. I’m not ready for that yet, but I didn’t want what happened between us to hang over me the rest of our time in the Villa. So we’ve agreed to try to be friends and put history behind us, key word being try. We can go our separate ways and I can focus on what’s really important.” 

“And what’s really important?” Bobby asked, fishing for compliments.

“You, of course.” She smiled. 

“Who’s being a melt now?” 

Jude laughed. “Still you, Melty the Clown.”

Bobby laughed with her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned her head against his chest. The two of them sat quietly for a few moments, letting the moonlight wash over their faces before they headed into the bedroom, ready for their first night as a couple.


	10. Author's Note - Life Update

Surprise! I'm not dead. 

Well, long time no see everyone! It's been quite a while since I've last wrote to you all. I know I'm probably disappointing those of you who have been eagerly waiting for a new chapter, but there are some things I need to get off my chest so bare with me for a sec. 

First of all, I regret to announce that Make It Better will probably never be finished beyond what it is now. I know, I know, I'm going back on my promise, and I feel terrible about it. But let me explain why. 

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, which is essentially a slightly milder form of manic-depressive disorder. This was really surprising, as no one in my family suffers from it. It was a difficult road to get to that diagnosis, however I can't tell you what a relief it has been to put into words what I've been feeling inside for so long and to finally be getting the help I desperately needed. So I just wanna say that if you or someone you know struggles with mental illness, please don't wait as long as I did and get the help you need and deserve. Don't let people talk you into ignoring and doubting your feelings; you know yourself best.

With that side note out of the way, the diagnosis made me realize that I wrote Make It Better during a hypomanic episode, as a way to cope with the energy levels. I had no intention to ever publish it. It was just a story, with some characters, that made me happy writing it and helped direct my sometimes overwhelming thoughts. Then in March, quarantine began, and triggered a depressive episode. If you look at the dates - yes, that's correct, March is when I started posting Make It Better. Looking back, I think I was searching for a way, any way, out of that hole that I was starting to sink in, by seeking validation and approval within a community I'd been very active in at that moment in time and that I cherished. Which... probably wasn't the best idea. Now, several months later, I'm finally starting to see the back end of the depression and returning to my normal mood - after A LOT of therapy, medication, and self-work.

What does that mean for Make It Better? Simply that as it is now, the story has lost its meaning for me. Don't get me wrong, I still love Bobby and Jude and what they have between them, but their story doesn't occupy my mind like it used to, and at this point in my life I have no desire to revisit it. That's not to say I NEVER will - I actually had plans to revamp the story over the summer, which didn't work out for health reasons, but it's something I'm considering doing in the future, without any concrete time frame. For now, I am satisfied with how the story ended - Bobby and Jude are together, they are happy, and everything is right in the world. I hope you see it that way too. 

I wanna thank those of you who've read Make It Better, who've left kudos and comments. While the reasons I started publishing the story may not have been the healthiest, your support truly meant a lot, and I'm happy that Jude and Bobby's story resonated with you. Thank you in particular to Redlightsdistrict and bobbymckenziess - you guys showed up every time and it meant the world. You're truly the best <3

Lastly, as a parting gift, I'm going to publish a few chapters that I had written prior to my "disappearance". I'm posting them as bonus to make sure that there's no confusion about whether I'm continuing the story or not - because I'm not. These are just extra chapters that were already written and that I think you all deserve for your endless patience with my bullshit haha. The chapters follow the events of day 23 (the rainy day and heart rate challenge) and of the reunion (yes, and the proposal - eek). Hopefully these bring you some kind of closure to Jude and Bobby's story, even though their Villa journey isn't complete. They should be out within the next week or two, I just need to make some light edits to them. 

Thank you once again for your patience and your support, I'll never forget the LITG community and all you've done for me. If you want to message me, don't hesitate - I'll try to be around a little more from now on and be better at answering them haha. 

Lots of love, 

Alina


	11. Bonus 1: Endless Rain Into a Paper Cup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First two bonuses are up! Enjoyyy :)

##### Day 23

Something was tickling Jude’s nose. 

She slapped it away in annoyance. "Piss off."

In her half-asleep stupor, she heard someone laugh. 

“Jude… Wake up, gorgeous.” 

She moaned and cracked an eye open. Bobby was standing by the bed, already dressed. 

“Morning, sleepy head,” he said, grinning down at her.

“Mmh?” Jude struggled to wake up. She rubbed at her eyes. “What’s happening?”

Bobby snickered. “You’re adorable when you’re sleepy.”

A groggy smile spread over Jude’s lips. She sat up in her bed and yawned loudly.

Bobby held out a steaming mug handle first. “Here, I made you a cuppa.”

“Cheers,” she said, taking a sip of the tea. She looked around at the bedroom, and noticed she was the only one still in bed. “Did I oversleep or something?”

“No, don’t worry, it’s not that late,” Bobby said, taking a seat next to her on the bed, sipping at his own mug. “I wanted to let you have a lie in after last night’s recoupling. It was pretty intense.” 

“Oh. Well, thanks! That was sweet of you,” Jude said, smiling at him. She yawned again. “Wow, I am not used to sleeping in,” she admitted. “I usually have to be up at dawn for band practice, and then the day just goes from there. I can’t even remember the last time I had a good lie-in.” 

Bobby’s face lit up. “Hey, that’s the same as me! I need to get up pretty early to get to the kitchen. Breakfast being the most important meal of the day and all.” 

Jude held out her fist. “You know what they say – early bird gets the worm!” 

Bobby laughed and fist-bumped her. They were quiet for a few moments, sipping at their teas. “I’m so glad we’re, like, solid now,” he said. “We’ve had our ups and downs and everything, but this feels right.” 

Jude smiled into her tea.

“It’ll be so weird when we’re out of here and we actually get to do real-life couple things,” Bobby continued. “Meet each other’s mates and take turns doing the washing up.” He smiled at her. “I can’t wait to do all those everyday things with you.” 

Jude froze. She waited for that sudden panic to rise within her, the same way it did whenever her past partners had started talking about those things. The words ‘meeting the fam’ were usually the point at which Jude got the hell out of Dodge, but for some reason, hearing them coming from Bobby didn’t feel quite so scary. 

“Me either,” she said, and found that she really meant it. 

Bobby grinned. “When we get out of here, I’d love to take you on a date,” he said. “Your favourite kind of date, whatever that is!” 

Jude looked at him in surprise. “Oh yeah?” She said dumbly.

“Yeah!” Bobby grinned. “Where would your, like, total dream date be?” 

Jude thought this over for a second. Truth be told, she’d never been on that many dates to begin with. She tried to think of places her exes had taken her, but nothing really stood out in her memory. “I dunno,” she answered. “It’d probably be something a bit more active, I guess. I couldn’t bear to sit still at a restaurant for hours, I need to move. Maybe something like indoor skydiving? I've always wanted to try that.” 

“Ooh, that’s pretty daring!”

“What about you?” Jude asked him. “Where can I take you on your dream date?” 

“To an adult ball-pool bar!” 

“Huh?”

“Yeah, haven’t you ever heard of those? It’s like… ball-pool parks, but for grown-ups. We’ll play hide and seek in a ball pool pit. But I’ll actually lose myself and won’t be able to find the surface, so you’ll have to swim to my rescue. And then someone will probably step on my toes and then you’ll be guided by the sounds of my cry out from the pain. Then, because we’re such a loveable couple we’ll make friends with the toe stepper and just have a wild night with our new mate!” Bobby smiled at her expectantly. 

Jude blinked. “That’s… very detailed?”

“Oh yeah, I think everything through.” 

_Aww, he’s so cute when he gets excited about stuff._ “You know what? That sounds absolutely amazing.”

Bobby grinned. “I’m glad you think so!” He set his mug on the bedside table and stretched his arms above his head. “Whatever happens on the outside, I just hope I get my time with you. I honestly don’t mind what we do or where we go. As long as it’s with you.” 

_Aaand I’m a puddle of Jude._ Before she could smack him and tell him to stop being a melt, because goddamn it she wanted to get through one day without her insides liquefying, Lottie came striding into the bedroom, Gary walking lazily behind her. 

“I swear I saw it in here last, honey,” Lottie said, rummaging through her drawers. 

Gary yawned. “What are we looking for again, Tee Tee?” 

“My water bottle!” She started throwing things out of the drawer haphazardly. “Ugh, it’s not here! Let’s go and check down in the kitchen, honey.” She stormed out of the bedroom, and Gary followed her, shaking his head. 

Bobby turned to Jude. “Um, what just happened?” 

“I think we just witnessed a category one Hurricane Lottie,” Jude chuckled, looking at the mess of clothes on the floor beside the still-open drawer. 

Bobby was staring at the open doorway. “Did they call each other honey and Tee Tee?” He asked, turning back to Jude. She nodded. “How come we don’t have cute little names for each other? I feel like this is exactly the kind of vibe I want us to have!”

Jude cringed. “My name is one syllable. How much more can you shorten it?” 

“It’s not about shortening,” Bobby explained, “it’s about having something cute that only we call each other.”

“Isn’t that what Juju is for?” 

“Hah! I knew you’d come around on that!” Bobby grinned triumphantly. 

“I said no such thing!”

“Whatever, Juju,” Bobby winked. “So pet names. What say you?” 

Jude hesitated. “Well, honestly, I’m not a pet name type of girl…” She started. Bobby’s face fell. “But if you’re into it, then I’m into it.” 

“Aw, ace! In fairness, all the strong couples I know on the outside do this kind of thing. What should I call you, then? ‘Lass’ is usually my go-to for girls that I like.” 

Jude pursed her lips. “Don’t I deserve something more unique?” 

“Hmm, very true,” Bobby agreed. He put a finger to his lips and took a step back, surveying her, putting on a show of thinking hard. Jude began to crack up. Suddenly, a smirk lit up his face. “I shall dub thee… Toe Queen!” 

Jude almost snorted tea out of her nose. “Toe Queen?!” 

“Toe Queen.” 

Jude snickered. “That’s a bit… on the nose, innit?” 

Bobby laughed. “Come on, Toe Queen. Let’s go down and show our faces to the rest of them. I’ll wash your mug if you’re done.” 

“But I’m still not dressed!” Jude protested. “Or showered!”

“Oh, yeah! I totally forgot. I’ll leave you to it then,” he said, kissing her on the cheek before disappearing with the mugs down the stairs. 

Jude fought down a smile as she rolled out of bed and went to get ready for her first day being officially coupled with Bobby. 

*** * ***

Bobby stretched out on the lounger, enjoying the warm sun on his face. All around him, the Islanders were taken up by their various conversations. Lottie and Gary were fanning each other with makeshift fans. 

_Where is Jude?_ Bobby wondered, looking around the yard. He’d seen her chatting to Chelsea earlier, but the blonde was now floating in the pool with Elijah. Jude had seemingly disappeared. 

“That was a good recoupling last night, wasn’t it?” Hope sighed, sliding her sunglasses on top of her nose. 

Jo grinned. “Totally. I’m so happy with Rahim.”

“Aw, babe, that’s nice to hear,” Hope answered with disinterest. “I’m just happy Noah and I are back to normal.”

“This might be the one that actually works out,” Graham agreed, wrapping his arm around Marisol, who was sitting next to him scrolling through her phone. She looked up and gave him a smile. 

_I can’t believe her and Jude used to be a thing. Wow, talk about a love triangle,_ Bobby chuckled, recalling the time when he used to be coupled with Marisol. _Although, this whole Villa is like one huge love… polygon?_ He glanced around at the girls, and realized that he’d been coupled up with at least half of them at some point or the other. _It’s been a weird ride, but me and Jude got there in the end._

Hope raised her head. “Speaking of Noah, has anyone seen him?” She looked around the yard. 

“I haven’t seen Rahim in a while either,” Jo said, copying Hope. As if on cue, the two boys strode out of the Villa, followed by Jude. Spotting the group by the pool, they walked in their direction. Ibrahim gave the other two a thumbs up before making his way over to Jo. 

“Hey, babe!” He said, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. Jo leaned away.

“What were you guys chatting about?” She asked suspiciously, looking at Jude and Noah. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Noah said, coming up to sit next to Hope.

“It’s impossible to talk about nothing,” Lottie said. “There’s always something worth talking about. Just like you should never be doing nothing. There’s always something to do.”

“We’re doing nothing now,” Hope pointed out.

Lottie looked around. “Hmm. Yeah, I guess.” She got up and stretched. “I hate sitting still.”

“I’m the same,” Bobby agreed. 

“Me too,” Jude said, sitting next to Bobby. “But I gotta admit, it is nice to just do nothing every now and again. Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Noah looked at her in amusement. “Did you just quote Ferris Bueller?” 

Jude grinned. “Maybe…”

The Islanders continued debating the merits of doing nothing. Bobby put an arm around Jude’s waist, and his heart stuttered happily when she leaned into him. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” she smiled. 

“What were you guys talking about?” 

Jude snorted. “Something naff.” Bobby arched an eyebrow. “I’m not allowed to say, but you’ll find out soon enough. I promise the laugh will be worth the wait.”

_Does this have something to do with why Rahim was asking about flash mobs earlier? Are they planning a Love Island flash mob? But I wanna be involved…_

“Hey!” They were interrupted as Gary pointed towards the sky, shielding his eyes with the palm of his other hand. “A cloud!” 

Everyone looked up, following his gaze. Indeed, a large, grey cloud had appeared on the horizon. 

“Aw, it looks like a love heart,” Bobby giggled.

Graham suddenly sat up straight. “Did anyone feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“That!” insisted Graham, looking at his hand. “I swear I just felt a raindrop.” 

Hope laughed. “Nah, it’s not going to rain here Graham. It’s so sunny!” 

“I felt it again!”

“What?”

“It’s not going to rain!” Hope said, irritably now.

“Looks like it’s just you, Graham,” Gary chuckled. Graham threw him a dirty look.

“I don’t know, hun,” Lottie said frowning up. “It is looking a little moody up in that sky.” 

“You should be the next weather girl!” Jo chuckled.

The girls all looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Who told you about the weather girls?” asked Lottie.

“What’s all this about weather girls?” Noah asked, confused. Bobby shared the sentiment. _This isn’t the first time they’ve mentioned weather girls. What’s up with that?_

“Oh, just an in-joke,” Hope waved away the question, and the girls snickered. 

Bobby looked over at Jude, opening his mouth to press the matter, when he noticed that she’d started shifting nervously, throwing glances up at the sky. Seconds later, a shadow fell over them all. Bobby looked up to see that the sun had been covered up by crowds of rolling grey clouds. 

“Uh-oh…” Noah said nervously.

Bobby shivered. “Did someone just turn down the heating?”

Noah suddenly jumped to his feet as thick drops of rain started to fall. “Argh!” He yelped and sprinted off towards the Villa. 

The rest of the Islanders were on his heels, trying to gather their belongings as the rain got heavier and heavier. 

“My eyeliner!” shouted Lottie, covering her face with her hands.

“Are you sure you can’t feel it now, guys?” Graham thundered, tucking Marisol against his tall frame to shield her as they jogged back towards the house.

Bobby picked up a towel and held it over himself and Jude. “I’ll keep you dry, Toe Queen,” he said as they ran inside. Jude burst into fits of giggles. 

“I’ll never be able to take that nickname seriously,” she said as they crossed into the Villa. She shook her hair. “Ugh, I should’ve straightened my hair this morning. All this humidity is about to make it go poof, just you watch.”

“What a sight it’ll be,” Bobby agreed, picking at a stray curl. He pulled at it, stretching it out, before letting it bounce back.

“I thought it would never rain in here,” said Marisol, staring out the window at the pounding rain in disbelief.

“I forgot what the stuff even looked like,” moaned Lottie. “We’ve been spoilt with really good weather.”

Bobby sighed. “Yeah, I get you. I’m so not a fan of rain. Gets everything wet.”

“No kidding,” grumbled Lottie.

“What? You two are such negs,” Jude laughed. “Rain is amazing! Makes everything feel fresh and new.” 

“I hope it doesn’t flood...” Lottie continued as if she didn’t hear Jude, staring out at the water sloshing in the pool. 

“I’ll build a boat,” deadpanned Noah, sending the Islanders into fits of giggles. 

“Very funny.”

“But guys, what are we going to do if we can’t sunbathe?” Chelsea asked, looking glum.

“We can just hang out in here,” said Jo.

“Hang out inside?!” Lottie said, appearing shocked. 

“Yeah, no way,” agreed Chelsea. “That’s like committing the worst holiday no-no, staying indoors.”

“Aw, I always loved it when it rained on holiday as a kid,” Bobby said. “That’s when everyone would get the best games out.”

“We’re not kids anymore, Bobby,” Lottie chided him. 

Bobby deflated. “I guess…” He looked down at his feet, a little lost for words. 

“Oh, get over yourself, Lottie." 

Bobby looked up in surprise. Jude was glaring at Lottie. Lottie turned to narrow her eyes at Jude. 

“What did you say?” 

“I said, get over yourself. Bobby was trying to cheer you up and you’re being a twat about it.”

Lottie turned pink. She opened her mouth to say something, but got cut off by a chime. 

Jude pulled out her phone, her confrontation with Lottie all but forgotten. “I’ve got a text!” she announced. “Islanders, it’s time to put one couple’s relationship to the ultimate test. You must choose one couple to go shopping for snacks for tonight. Hashtag snack attack, hashtag bag for life.”

Bobby lit up. “Oh, that’s so cool!” He turned towards Jude. “We were just talking this morning about how we couldn’t wait to do all that regular stuff together, babe. Now is our chance!”

“Who died and made you two the queen and king of shopping?” protested Jo.

Bobby looked quizzically at her. “No, nothing like that! I just thought it would be nice for us to go out and chill. We’ve been through a lot these past few days.”

“Yeah, I’m with Jude and Bobby,” quipped Chelsea. “I think they should get the chance to go shopping.” 

Bobby smiled appreciatively at her.

“Yeah, me too,” rumbled Noah. Bobby turned to him in surprise. “It’s about time they got to go on a proper date,” he explained. “They deserve it.” He smiled at Bobby.

Bobby blinked several times, feeling a small smile form at the corner of his mouth. _Gesture of good faith? Or just trying to sweeten Jude up?_

Gary rapped his knuckles against the wall. “All those in favour?” 

Everyone except Jo shouted yes in agreement. 

“Then it’s decided!” Bobby grinned excitedly. 

“Let’s go shopping!” Jude agreed. 

“That’s well unfair,” Jo complained. “Make sure you guys get me some nacho chips.” 

_Yeah, and a side of manners to go along with it,_ thought Bobby, ignoring her. He took Jude’s hand. “C’mon babe, let’s go get dressed and go shopping!” 

*** * ***

“We’re back!” cried Bobby, shaking the rain out of his hair as he walked back into the Villa, Jude close behind him. “And we have snacks!” 

The shopping trip had been such a laugh. Bobby and Jude had run up and down the store’s aisle, cameraman in tow, gathering supplies for the Islanders. In half an hour, they’d had baskets full of crisps, fruit, chocolate, and other delicious snacks.

“Finally!” Jo said, running into the living room. “Did you get my nachos?”

“Oh, no. I totally forgot!”

“We got hot and spicy crisps instead,” Jude offered her flatly. “Or salt and vinegar.”

Jo rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks. Not.”

“Everyone’s going stir crazy because of the rain,” Hope said, walking in. “Jude and Bobby are back, everyone!” 

“Finally!” Chelsea yelled, skipping into the room. “Felt like you’d been gone for hours! What did you get?”

Jude grinned at her. “We got strawberries, cream, hot and spicy crisps, a pineapple… The whole lot!”

“Nice! Who doesn’t love a pineapple!” Chelsea clapped, rummaging through the bags. 

Bobby looked at Jude. “Should we tell them that we… you know… Had a little kiss?” He flushed, thinking back on their moment at the back of the grocery store, when they’d managed to sneak away from the cameramen. They’d knocked everything to the ground and gotten discovered by the crew, but Bobby had been just about floating on a cloud ever since.

Jude smiled mischievously. She put a finger to her lips. “Our secret.”

Bobby smirked. 

“Whatever,” Lottie sighed dramatically, staring mournfully out into the garden. “All the snacks in the world can’t stop the rain. Which is all I really care about right now. I miss the outside.” 

Jude rolled her eyes. “You’re still on that?”

“I’m just stating a fact. It’s raining. There’s nothing we can do while it rains!”

“That’s rubbish,” Bobby declared. “We can play a game! Like a role play game.”

Lottie smirked. “That sounds sexy.” 

“No, not role playing like that,” he quickly corrected her, blushing. “One where we become different characters!” 

Chelsea nudged Jude and whispered something to her, the two of them giggling quietly.

“We can’t just play pretend, Bobby,” Lottie said. “We’re adults.”

“We’re on a game show right now, hun,” Jo pointed out.

“You know what I mean,” Lottie huffed.

“Come on Lottie, don’t start with the attitude again,” Jude warned her. “Have you never played games like that?”

“Yeah, Lottie,” Noah said. “Lots of adults play games Dungeons and Dragons and stuff.”

Lottie frowned. “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never played it,” she relented

Lottie slumped down on a sofa and started picking at a loose thread. “It’s just hard to switch off the adulting brain.”

“But being in the Villa is the perfect place to do that!” Jo said.

Elijah grabbed a cushion and dropped it on the floor by the window. Suddenly, Bobby had an idea. He ran to grab the pillow, picking it up just as Elijah was about to sit. He fell hard on the floor. 

“Do you mind, mate?” He protested, rubbing his bum.

“Elijah,” Bobby said, holding up the pillow. “You’ve got it. You’re a genius!”

Elijah looked perplexed. “I am? I don’t see how. Can I have my cushion back?”

“I know the best thing you should always do on a rainy day to keep the boredom away,” Bobby announced. “Let’s make a blanket fort!”

He watched the others’ faces light up.

“What’s a blanket fort?”

Bobby gasped. Everyone turned wide eyes at Elijah. “You’re telling me you’ve never made a blanket fort, Elijah?”

“Um…” He looked around nervously. 

“Come on, Elijah, seriously?”

“They’re, like, the cutest way to chill with your bae!”

“Honestly, this is the first time I’m hearing those two words together,” Elijah admitted.

“Well, you know what they say,” Bobby told him. “There’s no time like the present! What do you all think?” He asked, turning to the others. A chorus of enthusiastic approvals sounded throughout the living room.

“Then it’s official,” Bobby declared solemnly. “I now realize that all the blanket forts I have built over the years have led up to this moment in time. It’s time to pass on my blanket fort crafting wisdom to you, Elijah.”

He held out the cushion. Elijah stared at it in confusion. 

“Take it,” Bobby prompted. “It shall be the first stone for our castle.” 

Elijah laughed. “Go on then, your majesty. Teach me your ways on how to construct your kingdom.”

“You’ve got to choose your roles in the kingdom first,” Graham told them. “In any good role play you need to know your roles. And a safe word.” 

Lottie started giggling.

“Oh, you know, we’ll need some cute fairy lights for the fort,” chirped Chelsea. “I can’t resist a cute set of fairy lights, my room back at home is covered in them.”

“Good shout!” Bobby nodded. “You and me, Elijah, will reign as king and king together.” 

“I’m down for that!”

“Looks like your dreams are coming true, Chels,” Jude snickered. “This is just like your Other Villa.”

Chelsea winked at her. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Everyone stared at them.

“What other Villa?” Elijah asked.

“Oh, just my imaginary one,” Chelsea said breezily. “You two make a lovely pair of kings. Oh, yeah, Jude and I totally shipped you together.”

Bobby looked at Jude. “You shipped us?” 

She shrugged. “What can I say? You make a lovely couple.”

“I shotgun the prison warden!” Chelsea cried.

“Chelsea, if you ship us, then you should be in charge of our ships,” Elijah suggested. Bobby nodded approvingly.

“Ooh, that sounds officially important!” squealed Chelsea. “Admiral Chelsea, reporting for duty!”

“That’s settled, then,” Bobby said. “Jude, what do you want to be?”

Jude puffed her chest. She grabbed a pillow off the sofa. “I shall be Sir Jude of the Villa, wielder of the Pillow, defender of King Bobby!” 

Bobby chuckled, remembering their conversation by the pool the other night. 

“Ace!” He grabbed another pillow. Jude kneeled and King Bobby tapped the cushion to each of her shoulders. “I hereby knight you, Sir Jude of the Villa!”

The other Islanders started claiming their roles, and soon they had a full royal court, complete with a librarian in Noah, a mage in Lottie, a dragon in Gary, and a masked bandit in Rahim. They started shouting over each other, everyone suggesting ways to start building their fort. 

“I was thinking we could put the sun loungers on their side for the outside structure,” suggested Jude. Bobby, in his capacity as king, approved the plan, and Gary and Rahim rushed outside and quickly brought in two sun loungers.

“They need a bit of a dry,” remarked Elijah. 

Chelsea approached them, brandishing towels. “As Chief Constructor of the Navy… I’ve got this.” She threw the towels over the chairs.

“Perfect!” Bobby grinned. “Let’s line them up side by side.” 

With a bit of shuffling, the loungers were moved into place.

“Are they to your liking, your majesty?” Bobby asked Elijah, who gave them a wiggle, testing their strength. Finally, he nodded approvingly.

“These feel sturdy.”

“Perfect! Our wall is built.”

“Um…” Hope suddenly piped up. “I’m going to wish I didn’t ask this, but… Graham, what are you doing over there with the chairs?” 

Bobby turned. Graham had started building some sort of structure made of pillows and chairs and belts in the corner of the room. 

“I’m building a private space that I am reserving for my needs,” Graham said, fluffing a pillow.

“What do you mean?” asked Jo.

“It’s just like…” Graham struggled to explain. “A private space. You know, for grown-ups who love each other and want to spend time together.” 

_Oh my God, this lad._ “I get you. It’s like… the love area.” Bobby winked at Jude. “What would you call that though?”

“Oh em gee!” squealed Chelsea. “The love shack!”

The Islanders started snickering. 

Jude grinned at Graham. “Can anyone use it?” Her eyes slid sideways towards Bobby, who felt his ears burn.

“Of course! Anyone’s welcome,” beamed Graham.

“It’s, um… very inventive,” said Hope, clearly still weirded out.

“I might add that no one asked for planning permission to build that,” tutted Elijah, somewhat breaking the tension. 

“Yeah,” said Bobby, “but I’ll overlook it because I’m semi-intrigued.” He looked down at the pillow fort. “All this thing needs now is a roof!”

“Well, the answer’s in the name,” Jude said. “Blankets, right?”

“Yes!” Bobby exclaimed excitedly. “That’s a shout!”

Noah ran to the bedroom and returned his arms laden with duvets. “Right, we need to put these on carefully so we don’t break it.”

“Is there anything else we need before we put the roof on, guys?” Bobby asked, looking around. "Once the roof is on it's well hard to make adjustments."

"I'm just going to get some rope," said Graham, disappearing again. 

"Rope?!" hissed Lottie, once he'd left. 

"Maybe Graham just wants to make a swing?" Chelsea suggested. 

"He probably has a different swing in mind, babes," snickered Lottie. 

"Huh?" 

_I want to live in Chelsea’s head,_ Bobby thought, trying not to laugh at the confusion on her face. "Anyway guys, has anybody got any other stuff they want to go in the fort?" 

“Chelsea wanted fairy lights,” Jude reminded him.

"Yasss!" the blonde squealed. "I've already gone and taken some from outside.” She produced fairy lights from the corner of the room.

 _When did she even get those?_ Bobby wondered, watching Chelsea adorn the side of the fort with little twinkling fairy lights. 

“Aw, doesn’t that look perfect!” she cooed as she stood back up and admired her work.

“It really does,” agreed Bobby. “Right, okay. Let’s put the roof on. Ready, everyone? Grab a corner.” 

With a bit of teamwork, the fort finally had its roof.

"Right?" Elijah said, not sounding entirely sure. "That feels like it's on." 

"Everyone…" Bobby announced, "get in!" 

With much laughter everyone clambered inside, and miraculously the fort held together. 

"Well done guys!" enthused Bobby. "This is a great blanket fort. Especially for Elijah's first year reigning as king." 

"The fairy lights totally make it," said Chelsea.

"It'd be pitch dark otherwise," said Jude. "I didn't realise how thick those sheets are." 

"Is it just me or is it getting a little too hot in here now?" Jo complained. 

They all scrambled out of the fort and were surprised to find the late afternoon sun shining through the windows.

“Finally!” squealed Lottie, grabbing a towel and running straight outside. 

“But what about mine and Elijah’s kingdom?” Bobby pouted. 

“We had a good reign, my sweet king,” Elijah said, clapping Bobby on the shoulder.

“And we can keep the fort up, at least for this afternoon,” Jude said. Bobby brightened.

“Alright!” 

“But now that the rain has gone, our kingdom doesn’t need to be confined to the living room!” Jo said.

“And we can crack on with our sunbathing again before the sun sets,” Chelsea said. 

As everyone started to make their way outside, Bobby saw Rahim nudge Jude. Noah joined them and the three of them started whispering, then Rahim walked out, followed by Noah. 

Bobby caught up with Jude. “What’s going on?” 

Jude smirked. “Remember when I said something naff was going to happen later? Well, it’s happening. Right now. Come on!” 

She hooked her elbow through Bobby’s and led him out to the garden, where the others were wiping the water off the sun loungers. 

“I love the smell of the world just after it rained,” remarked Bobby. “It’s pretty warm though.” 

“Watch out, Bobby wants the weather girls’ jobs,” snickered Lottie. 

_I seriously need to figure out what’s up with those weather girl comments._ “I could never replace them!”

From the corner of his eye, Bobby saw Jude give Ibrahim a thumbs up.

Ibrahim took a deep breath. “Speaking of our favourite weather girls…” He walked over to Jo, who sat cross-legged in the dewey grass. “There’s something I want to ask you, Jo.”

“Oh, sure.” Jo got up to her feet. “What’s up? Are you okay?”

“Yes. After some help from Jude and Noah…” He nodded at them, smiling. “I finally have the right words. And as the sun sets on this rainy day, I realise that there are only two things I know for certain in this world. Firstly, I know the sun will rise again tomorrow. Secondly, I know that when I see that sunrise tomorrow morning, I want to see it knowing that you are my girlfriend.” 

Bobby’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Looking around, the others looked just as mind boggled as him, buggy eyes and open mouths on every face. The only ones who didn’t seem surprised were Noah, who looked at the scene with a side grin, and Jude, whose lips were pinched like she was trying not to laugh.

“Really?” asked Jo. “You want me to be your girlfriend?” 

“More than anything, Jo,” Ibrahim said earnestly. “I really do. I want you to be my girlfriend and I want to be your boyfriend.” 

_Really?! You’ve known her four days!_ Bobby wanted to protest. Next to him, Jude started laughing silently. Bobby bit his lip, trying not to give in to the giggles.

“Of course!” cried Jo. “Yes! A thousand times yes!” She and Rahim embraced as all the Islanders started to cheer.

Bobby’s chest hurt from the effort of keeping his laughter in. _What the fuck just happened?_

He could feel Jude shaking with laughter next to him and had to keep himself from looking at her because he knew if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself any longer. 

Ibrahim and Jo bowed to them all as the clapping came to an end. “Thank you, thank you,” Rahim said, his grin stretching wider than Bobby had ever seen it. “You’ve been a wonderful audience. I just want to say, guys, I really couldn’t have done it without Jude and Noah.”

“Aw, is that what you guys were doing earlier?” asked Jo. “You helped talk him into it? That’s so sweet!” 

“Yeah, they really were a great help,” agreed Rahim. 

“No problem,” nodded Noah. “I’m just happy to see a couple like you guys making it official. You’re the first ones!”

The Islanders looked around, realizing that indeed, Jo and Ibrahim were the first official, girlfriend-boyfriend couple in the Villa. _Woah, that’s gonna put some pressure on the rest of us, for sure,_ Bobby thought, looking towards Hope. She kept trying to subtly glance at Noah, who avoided her gaze.

“Wow!” said Jo, looking smug. “Because I was a latecomer, I didn’t think we’d be the first! But that’s amazing.”

“Good for you, Ram,” Jude said.

The Islanders chatted amongst each other a few more minutes, mostly congratulating Jo and Rahim. _Alright, it’s not like they’re engaged or something,_ Bobby thought before offering to bring out the snacks that he and Jude had bought, which in all the excitement of the fort building and Rahim’s proposal, had been left untouched.

“I’ll come with,” Jude said, and the two of them set off towards the Villa. 

“Sooo… Is that what you were all talking about earlier?” Bobby asked, having a hard time keeping a straight face. “The big secret?” 

“Yeah,” Jude smirked. “Told you it’d be worth the wait. If you all could have seen your faces! Oh my God, I almost died,” she chuckled.

“I thought I was gonna wee myself,” Bobby said. “Like, I don’t want to be mean, but bloody hell. That was just…” He shook his head. 

“Ridiculous, I know,” Jude agreed. “Did you see Hope’s face? I thought she was gonna choke from jealousy!” 

“Right?! It’s just about if she didn’t wave her ring finger in Noah’s face,” Bobby chortled. “To be fair though, Rahim and Jo are jumping into this quick as fuck…”

Jude shrugged. “We tried to tell him, but there was no reasoning with him. At least this way we all got a chuckle out of it.” 

“True,” Bobby said. He shifted a little. _Is she expecting the same, now that…_

Jude picked up on his unasked question. “I know that Ram and Jo making it official is going to put pressure on you guys, but I just want you to know I don’t expect anything like that _anytime_ soon,” she said. “We’ve only been coupled up one day, which might be enough time for some people, but it’s not like that for me. I mean,” she fumbled, “I’m still sure I want to be with you, but I’m not ready to like, be official or anything like that, it’s way too much way too soon, and—” she stopped herself, blushing. “You know what, I’m gonna stop myself right there before I shove my foot any further up my mouth.”

Bobby laughed. “It’s fine, I got what you meant.” 

“Okay, good, because I had no idea where I was going,” Jude admitted, making Bobby laugh harder. “How good was that speech, though?” 

“I think you and Noah nailed it,” Bobby said. “It was romantic, sincere. Very Rahim.” 

Jude looked pleased. “I know, right? I feel like we did a good job pointing him in the right direction. Unlike you and Gary.” 

Bobby frowned at her.

“The flash mob idea?” she prompted.

“Oh, is that what that was about?” Bobby chuckled. “Yeah, I thought that was just, like, a general thing, like what I thought about them. I didn’t know it was cos he wanted to ask Jo out!”

“Just be glad we got there in time and vetoed that idea,” Jude chuckled. “Although to be fair, Gary’s was even worse.”

“What did he say?”

“He told Rahim to write ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’ with lipstick on his abs,” Jude sighed. 

“Of course Gaz would suggest something like that,” Bobby laughed. “Not sure how much Lottie would like that though, you know how protective she is of her lippies.” He paused. “A flash mob would've been epic, though.” 

“Hah! At least I know what to expect when you do ask me,” Jude teased, bumping her hip to his.

Bobby stopped in his tracks. She turned to look at him. 

“Everything good?”

He grinned. “Yeah, of course,” he said. “Just, uh, dropped a strawberry.” _When,_ he thought. _She said when. Not if. When._

“I don’t see it.” Jude said, looking around for the strawberry. “Ah, whatever, just leave it. It must have rolled under the fridge and got all dusty anyway,” she said.

Bobby leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. 

Jude looked amused when he pulled away. “What was that for?” 

Bobby grinned. “No reason.” Other than that I love you. “I just felt like it. And now I can.”

Jude chuckled and shook her head. She leaned up and gave him a lingering kiss that sent shivers down Bobby’s spine. He smiled against her lips. 

“Yes, you sure can,” she said, winking as she leaned back. Then she grabbed two bowls of crisps and headed out towards the daybeds, Bobby following close behind her. 

They passed around snacks to the lounging Islanders, who all started munching happily.

“Strawberries and cream in one hand, pineapple in another,” Lottie mused. Her good mood seemed to have returned with the sun. “Good picks, Bobs.” 

“Yeah, the strawberries and cream were a good shout,” agreed Marisol, who’d returned from her Beach Hut session just in time to witness Rahim’s epic proposal. 

Bobby grinned. “Thanks girls!” He picked up a huge strawberry and dipped it in cream. He stood and stepped away from the beds. “Can I try and get this in your mouth, Juju?” 

Jude gave him a look. “Only if you promise not to call me that anymore.” 

“Not a chance,” Bobby chuckled. 

Jude rolled her eyes, but she got up. “Fine, go for it,” she said, opening her mouth wide and pointing towards it. 

“Ready, steady, fire!” He launched the strawberry towards Jude’s mouth. It missed by a bit, instead bouncing off Lottie’s forehead. 

“Ouch!” 

“Oops,” Bobby grimaced apologetically. “Sorry, Loz!” 

Lottie smirked at him. “You trying to start a food fight, Bobby?” 

“No, I was aiming for Jude’s face!” 

Jude chuckled. “That’s all right, try again!” 

Bobby went to pick up another strawberry and dipped it in cream. 

Gary gestured to Hope. “Pass us the crisps, Hannah.”

Everyone turned to him. “Hannah?” Hope frowned. “My name is Hope.” 

Gary turned red. “Oh, sorry.” 

“It’s okay, easy mistake,” Hope said, passing him the crisps.

“Is it though? Hannah and Hope look nothing alike,” said Marisol. 

Bobby was briefly confused. _Hannah? Who’s Hannah? …Oh!_ He almost turned as red as Gary when he realized who they were talking about. _How did I forget about Hannah? She was my partner for three bloody days!_

“That was well weird,” said Gary. “Why’d her name even pop into my head?” 

Chelsea giggled. “Want to know what’s weirder? Me and Jude were talking about that Hannah earlier! I said if I was going to put you with anyone in here, it would have been with her.”

Lottie coughed on her crisps. “What?” 

“It was in this fantasy Villa that I had a dream about last night. You were there also, except you were coupled up with Marisol, and Bobby with Elijah obviously, they make such a good co-kings. And Ram and Jo were together because they’re made for each other, and Jude and Noah were a couple in there too,” Chelsea rambled on, oblivious to the growing tension.

“Really?” Gary asked, frowning. 

“Hannah did have a huge crush on you,” Jude pointed out. “And we never actually got to see what you’d be like together…” 

Gary pondered that. “Yeah, I never tried it on with her,” he mused. “Maybe things would be different if I had.”

The girls all went quiet.

 _“What?”_ Lottie hissed.

“I mean, like, if things had been different. Something could have happened there.” 

Lottie narrowed her eyes. “I guess it’s too bad for both of us she’s not in the Villa anymore. I lost my bestie, and I guess you lost your soulmate.”

Gary stiffened. Lottie shoved a handful of crisps in her mouth and crunched like she was trying to chew the soul out of them.

“I can’t believe you’d admit that in front of everyone, Gary,” Hope tutted. “Poor Lottie.”

Garry tensed up even more. He rolled his eyes. “It’s just chat,” he said defensively. “I’ll probably never see the girl again. If anything, Lottie should be happy that I didn’t say someone who is in the Villa now. Then she’d really have something to worry about.” 

Bobby cringed. _Gazza, mate, you need to put a sock in it._

“Hun, just stop,” Lottie said, her face darkening. Gary made to speak again, but Lottie put up a hand to shush him. “Stop. You’re digging yourself into a whole lot of trouble.” 

They all looked at each other awkwardly for a second, before a text chimed. Lottie reached for her phone. “You’ve been saved by the bell, Gary,” Lottie said. “I’ve got a text!” She yelled, calling those who weren’t with the group. She waited until everyone was gathered around her, then started reading. “Islanders, today you will take part in a boys-vs-girls sexy dance off. The winning team will be the one that raises their opponents’ heart rates the highest.” 

Everyone looked around excitedly. 

“Aw, this should be a laugh!” Jo said. 

“Woah, okay,” tittered Chelsea. “I need to get my dancing gear on!”


	12. Bonus 2: You Ain't No Dancer

An hour later, after claiming their costumes and selecting their music, the boys were pacing nervously up on the roof terrace. Below them, the girls were gathered around the firepit, getting hooked up to their heartrate monitors by crew.

Bobby bounced his knee up and down, trying to calm his nerves as everyone waited to see who would go first. He’d made away with a sexy chef costume, which, he had to admit, fit his slender frame incredibly well and hugged him in all the right places. Even so, he had a hard time feeling... well, _sexy._

The speech Graham had given them certainly had not helped. “Right, crew,” he’d said, clapping his hands loudly, “it’s time to make those ladies sweat. Who’s ready to hot it up?” 

Bobby had joined in with the general cheer, but inside he’d felt like chundering as he tried to figure out his act. He had a vague idea of what kind of dancing they were expected to do, but it wasn’t something he’d ever done before, especially in public. And the one time he’d tried to dance for his ex-girlfriend, she’d just laughed in his face. “What are you doing?” She’d said, giggling as Bobby struggled out of his trousers. “You know you don’t have the body for stripping. Just come here.” 

Bobby’s faced heated at the memory. _She was right, though,_ he thought. _How am I supposed to compete with guys like Gary? Or Rahim? Or Noah and his stupid washboard abs?_

“Anyone mind if I go first and get this over it?” Noah suddenly asked, looking a bit green. Everyone nodded, and Noah headed down. The rest of the boys looked over the terrace wall when they heard music start playing. The girls started cheering as Noah walked out to a song full of bass and synth. He strutted around the circle once, before stopping in front of Chelsea. She squealed in delight as Noah dropped in her lap and briefly ground his arse into her.

“Ooh, okay,” yelled Hope. “Yeah, that ought to get my heart racing. Watching him dance with another girl!” 

_Someone’s jealous,_ Bobby smirked at Hope’s barely concealed scowl. 

Noah just laughed and sauntered over to Hope. He started grinding slowly on her knee, and Hope looked like she reddened about five shades as the girls started cheering words of encouragement to her.

“Keep your cool, Hope!” 

“Deep breaths!” 

Noah leaned and licked Hope’s temple, murmuring something in her ear. Hope shuddered.

“Oh my God!”

“Noah is really putting the sexy in sexy librarian!”

“You guys both get my heart racing!”

“We try, we try!” Noah smirked. He turned towards Jude and asked something. Hope’s mouth thinned.

Bobby saw Jude stop clapping for a second. Her eyes flicked up towards the terrace. “Uh, no, you keep at it with Hope,” she answered loudly, and Bobby realized he must have asked if she wanted a dance. _What the fuck, man?_ He thought, frowning.

Noah shrugged and kept grinding on Hope. A few moments later, he whipped out the rip-off trousers and the girls went wild. He gave Hope one last kiss and walked off under a chorus of wolf-whistles and applause.

“Me next!” declared Elijah, and ran down the stairs before anyone else could volunteer. Energetic pop started playing, and a few instants later, Noah stumbled onto the roof. 

“That was terrifying,” he moaned, collapsing onto his back. 

Ibrahim walked over to him. “You alright, mate?” 

Noah waved him off. “Fine. Just feeling a bit light-headed. You guys go ahead,” he breathed. 

The rest of the boys watched Elijah spin Chelsea round and cover her with kisses in his sexy fireman outfit. Graham followed in his sailor’s get-up, but his clumsy dance only made the girls giggle. Next, Ibrahim went and twerked on Jo, who looked like she was trying not to hyperventilate. 

“Deep breaths, Jo!” Bobby heard Jude encouraging her. “We’re winning this!” 

“You’re up next, mate,” Gary suddenly said, clapping Bobby on the shoulder. 

Bobby looked at Gary, panicked. “But I’m not ready!” 

“Well, then improvise, cos it’s just you and me left and I already called dibs on the last spot. Off you go!” Gary pushed Bobby towards the stairs, and he stumbled down, crossing Rahim on his way up. He seemed out of breath.

_Fuck, what do I do?_ Bobby thought, his heart clanging in his chest. _I can’t do a sexy dance, they’ll all laugh at me. But then the lads will blame me for not winning! But what if Jude thinks it’s not sexy?_

Suddenly, he remembered something Jude had told him on the day of the Mr Love Island contest, when she’d helped him prepare for the walking portion. “A guy that can make me laugh is sexy to me. You don’t have to take these things so seriously, you know? Just go out there and have fun.” 

He gulped. _Maybe she’s right. Don’t take it too seriously, right? If I have fun, she’ll have fun._

He heard his song start playing and he took a deep breath. “Fuck it,” he mumbled, and sauntered out. 

He spotted Jude immediately. She sat towards the right of the circle, between Chelsea and Marisol. A slow smile spread on her lips when she saw him, and Bobby felt his heart start beating faster. _Shite, I’m meant to do that to her, not the other way around._

Chelsea nudged Jude and giggled something in her ear. Jude’s eyes sparkled. Bobby walked straight towards her and gave her his most over-the-top smoulder.

“Hey, babe,” he said as he approached. “Mind if I dance on your lap?” 

Jude smirked. “I’m all yours, Bobby.” 

Bobby’s heart stuttered again. _All mine._ “Of course.” He sat on her lap, not moving. Jude blinked up at him. “This is comfy.”

“Um…” 

“Were you expecting more?” He teased her, before leaping up and bowing. “Sorry, mademoiselle, I’m no dancer. More into comedy, personally. Can I interest you in a touch of light humour instead? Perhaps you’d like to taste a… sarcastic comment?” He leaned forward so that his lips grazed Jude’s cheek. “Or maybe you’d like some.... slapstick?” He bent down slowly, shoving his bum at Jude. He started hearing a few giggles. Grinning, he popped back up and grabbed some chapstick from his pocket, looking at Jude straight in the eyes. She looked like she was trying to hold in a laugh, her fist to her mouth. 

The girls started cracking up. “Bobby is hilarious!” said Jo. 

Bobby gave Jude his cheekiest grin. “I can serve that up with a side order of yours truly,” he finished, holding up an imaginary platter.

Jude started to laugh and pulled him to her. “You’re so absurd,” she whispered in his ear. “I love it.” 

Bobby grinned. “Yeah, not going to lie, sexy really isn’t my thing.”

“Don’t worry about it so much,” said Jude. “I think you’re hot. Own it.” 

Bobby felt his body warm up. He leaned down, bracing his hands on either side of her head and kissed her neck. 

Jude’s breath caught. “What’re you doing?” She whispered. Bobby just kept kissing up her neck, feeling her pulse accelerate as he ascended, and, reaching her ear, quietly moaned in it.

A soft moan escaped past Jude’s lips in response. Bobby bit the inside of his cheek to keep at bay all the naughty thoughts that sound conjured.

“Jude!” Marisol called out. 

“Sorry!” Jude yelled back, biting her lip. “I couldn’t help myself!”

Bobby smirked. As his song wound to a close, he backed away from the group to cheers from the other girls, blowing Jude a kiss. He high-fived Gary on his way up the stairs. 

“Well done, Bobs!” He cheered, tipping his construction hat. Bobby felt an immense sense of satisfaction rise up within him. 

“Break a leg, Gaz!” 

“Let’s hope not!” 

Up on the roof terrace, the boys welcomed Bobby with a short round of applause, then they all watched Gary grind on Lottie for a few minutes, the Aussie goth loving every minute of it. He finished it off with a cartwheel back to the Villa under loud cheering. 

Then, it was time to switch roles. The boys were directed downstairs and hooked to the heart monitors while the girls ran up to get changed into their costumes.

Somehow, the boys seemed just as nervous as they had been before their own performances, and were trying to calm their excitement by attempting to guess what costumes the girls might have chosen, mostly basing their suggestions on their knowledge of sexy Halloween costumes. 

"I dunno, a sexy witch maybe?" mused Gary.

"Isn't that just, like, what she normally wears?" Bobby laughed.

"Oh yeah," grinned Gary.

"I suppose it depends what they had to pick from," said Rahim. 

"And what they already owned," Graham looked thoughtful. 

Bobby looked up at the roof terrace as he heard giggles, seeing five girls peeking over, their costumes hidden. 

The music kicked in and Jo strutted to the fire pit confidently. She was dressed up like a race car pilot, the tight leather of her jumpsuit hugging her body, and Rahim gasped. 

After shaking her body in front of her man for a few beats, Jo suddenly turned and headed straight for Bobby, sitting on his lap and grinding. He stiffened in surprise, and felt his cheeks start to heat up.

_Um..._

Bobby looked up at the other girls and met Jude's eyes. When she spotted him looking, she gave him a cheeky wink. She mimed loading a gun and aiming a shot at Jo. He laughed before he could stop himself, and Jo glared at him. 

She leapt from him and finished her routine by dropping to the floor and twerking. As she left, Bobby could see that Rahim was both impressed and kind of pissed off. _Great,_ he thought, feeling himself go red. _Just what I needed, a pissed-off golfer who looks like he could snap me in half like a breadstick._

A ghostly track started playing, and he reckoned this had to be Lottie. Sure enough, she appeared, looking graceful in… _I don't know how to describe that,_ thought Bobby. She looked like she was wrapped in a black lace spiderweb that barely covered her, with dramatic dark makeup and killer heels. He glanced at Gary and practically saw his brain melt inside his skull. 

"Bloody hell," Gary moaned. 

Lottie, unlike Jo, gave her own man all her attention, dancing slowly and throwing in some sleight of hand magic that had the boys' minds reeling. 

_How is she doing that in that outfit? No sleeves…_ Bobby made a note to ask her for her tricks later, so he could incorporate it to his own repertoire.

She finished with a satisfied smirk, and as she walked away, Gary slid on to the floor with a groan. 

"I'm dead," he croaked. "Here lies Gary Rennell, cause of death, too much sexy." 

Bobby noted that she hadn't even touched him which was pretty damn impressive. He heard the girls cheering her as she returned. 

A lively beat kicked in, sounding like… _Carnival?_

Hope burst out in a very intense plumed headdress, complete with a barely-there bikini and some feathered wings. She was a riot of colour, and her enthusiastic samba had the boys cheering. She wasn't the best dancer out there, but she had all the confidence necessary for it and was clearly having fun. Noah's jaw had hit the floor, and his cheeks reddened when she finished her dance by practically motorboating him. 

Hope danced the longest yet and the girls cheered her on, before she danced her way back. There was a longer wait now, and Bobby realised his leg was bouncing up and down with nerves. He sat forward a bit, trying to find his calm. 

Music kicked in and he recognised it as _Heathens_ , which he thought was an interesting choice for a sexy dance. _That’s something Lottie would have picked, but she’s already had her turn – Hold up, is that Chelsea?!_

The bubbly blonde had summoned Harley Quinn, complete with pink and blue hair and baseball bat, and she skipped towards them. She stopped twice, dancing on the spot, and he could hear Jude leading the cheers from the terrace.

Elijah whooped in delight and as Bobby glanced over he saw that Rahim looked gobsmacked as well. Chelsea was a great dancer, favouring feeling herself and twirling around the entire circle. She began firing jokes at them, delivering them in the same manic way of speaking as the character she impersonated. Bobby had to admit that some of them were pretty funny, and he wished he’d thought of them himself. The guys were enthralled as she blew them a kiss before spinning on her heel, and sprinting away. 

"Wow," gasped Rahim. "That was…"

"Chelsea," Bobby grinned. 

"Wow."

_Two girls left…_

A sultry beat kicked in and Bobby looked up, his heart jumping into his throat. There was a flicker of disappointment as Marisol appeared, and he did his best to push it aside. _Saving the best for last, are they?_

Marisol looked pretty damn amazing, and he realised that her usual outfits definitely didn't do her justice. Her hair was slicked back in a high ponytail, and she was oozing confidence in a tight black pantsuit.

She swayed her hips as she walked towards Graham, putting some salsa in every step, and her sailor had turned an incredible shade of red.

Marisol did a longer dance, as Hope had done, and her confidence transformed her into a sex kitten who completely dominated her totally gobsmacked man. The boys cheered loudly.

As Marisol sashayed away, there was only one dancer left to appear.

A heavy, sultry beat started playing, and the other boys started jostling Bobby. He heard the heavy clack of heels coming out of the Villa and suddenly, there she was.

Bobby pretty much forgot to breathe for a moment when he saw what Jude was wearing. It was his apron. _Just_ his apron. She’d rolled it up, showing off miles of leg underneath, and her curly hair was bouncing around her shoulders.

 _I’ve died and gone to heaven,_ he thought, feelings his heart accelerate. Looking around himself, he saw that the other guys were all openly ogling her, too.

Jude looked Bobby straight in the eyes and gave him a cheeky grin as she sauntered over to him. “Like what you see?” she purred, twirling in front of him.

Bobby could barely form a sentence. Jude chuckled as she leaned forward, pushing her knee between Bobby’s thighs. Her hot breath blew on his ear and he shivered as her lips fluttered on his skin. “You might not do sexy, but I do,” she whispered.

She twirled around and sat on his lap, slowly grinding her arse on his groin. Bobby tried to remind himself how to breathe, but his thoughts kept getting erased like an etch-a-sketch with every twirl of her bum on him. Bobby’s heart pounded harder and harder as Jude kept grinding, arching her back onto him, pressing herself against his hardening length. Bobby tried to look elsewhere, anywhere else, to calm himself down, but the boys were no help. Unlike the girls, who had cheered each other to stay calm, the lads’ cheering had an entirely different goal. 

“Oh my fucking—” 

“Get in there Jude!”

“Go on mate!”

After what seemed like an eternity, Jude turned around and straddled Bobby’s lap. “You’re a bit of a tease, aren’t ya?” He attempted to joke, although it came out breathlessly. She smirked playfully and pressed her lips to his skin, placing gentle kisses along his collarbone. Bobby’s eyes fluttered shut, letting himself enjoy the moment. He felt her mouth open and her tongue move from the base of his neck to his pressure point, stopping to suck hard. His body squirmed underneath her as he tried to keep his cool, but failing miserably. Once she was satisfied with the mark she’d made on his neck, she moved her hot, open mouthed kisses upwards to the shell of his ear.

“But isn’t that half the fun?” Jude purred quietly. Her teeth gently grazed his ear and he let out a soft moan, momentarily forgetting about the lads’ presence. She pulled her face away from his, her hands gripping his collar. He cupped her face in his hands as she pulled his lips towards her own. His heartbeat was the last thing on his mind as their lips moved against each other. His tongue swiped her bottom lip for access and she opened immediately, craving him as much as he craved her, kissing him longingly. She pushed her chest against his as her back arched and he smiled into the kiss, tangling his fingers in her hair.

“What’s that joke Priya used to make? About someone needing a condom?” Rahim coughed. Everyone laughed as Rahim smiled proudly and Bobby sighed as Jude pulled away once more.

“We should continue this in private later,” he said, his voice hoarse. 

Jude smirked. “Maybe we will… If you’re lucky.” She winked, booping his nose.

Before he could boop her back, she was standing up and brushing herself off. She quickly untied the apron, leaving her in a lacy top that barely covered anything but her nipples and a pair of boxers that were definitely Bobby’s. She dropped the apron in his lap to help cover his growing excitement and gave him a knowing wink. Bobby winked back and smiled, grateful for her quick thinking. Watching her walk away was arguably the best and worst part for him as he watched her retreat confidently, curls bouncing deliciously with every step. She stopped and blew them a kiss right before disappearing into the Villa, and the boys erupted in the loudest applause of the night. 

“Holy SHIT, mate!”

“You lucky son of a bitch!”

“Get IN, Bobs!”

“Oi matey, you need a cold shower there?” 

Bobby tried to blink out of his daze. _What in the bloody hell just happened?_ “Lads,” he started, his voice shaky, “I think we might’ve lost that challenge.”

*** * ***

A few minutes later, the girls trickled down from the rooftop terrace for the results of the challenge. 

“That was actually one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life,” babbled Chelsea. “Stand up comedy is terrifying to pull off!” 

“So’s pulling off your trousers!” Noah argued.

Jude sat down beside Bobby, who still had the apron bunched in his lap even though he’d calmed down since her performance. She’d thrown on a large white sweater over her lingerie, though Bobby could see his boxers peeking out from underneath, and it was almost enough to make him hard all over again.

“That was hot, wasn’t it?” she said, her eyes flickering with a teasing light.

“You’re not wrong,” Bobby agreed. He looped an arm around her waist. “You were by far the hottest person I’ve ever seen.”

Jude threw her head back and laughed. “Well, you kind of don’t have a choice saying that, now I’ve basically given you a private show in front of the whole world.” 

“Not gonna lie, I feel kind of bad for my bit now,” he admitted. “I feel like I should’ve done more, but I was bricking it.” 

“Aww babe, don’t worry! I loved your bit, I thought you were hilarious,” Jude said, giving him a peck on the cheek. Bobby grinned.

A text chimed out.

“Ooh, hang on, I’ve got a text,” Lottie said, pulling out her phone. “Islanders, your heart rate results are in. Boys, your heartbeat was on average 90 bpm. Girls, your heartbeat was… 74 bpm!” 

The girls all cheered. “We won!” cried Jo. 

The boys sighed. “That sounds about right,” Bobby laughed. 

“I knew we could do it,” Lottie smirked smugly. 

“Yeah, you girls smoked us,” Noah said.

“I think it was mostly due to Jude, to be honest,” Graham grinned.

Marisol winked at her. “I can’t disagree there.”

Jude threw her head back and laughed. “Oh get off it. We were all excellent.”

“You were the best, though,” Bobby said, grinning at her.

Jude rolled her eyes, but he could see the flushed pride in her cheeks.

“So… Do we have to give the outfits back right away?” Gary asked, eyeing Lottie, who was still covered in her spiderlace outfit. She grabbed Gary by the suspenders he still wore, dragging him off with a wicked smile on her face. The rest of the Islanders copied them and started to make their way to various secluded spots in the Villa. 

Bobby turned to Jude. “Rooftop?” 

Jude grinned. “It’s like you read my mind.” The two of them hurried off to the roof terrace. 

“This is starting to be, like, our spot or something,” Jude laughed, settling herself onto the cushions. “We always end up here for some reason.” 

Bobby turned and grinned at Jude. “Soooo… Maybe I’ve done something a little extra.” 

“What have you done?” Jude said, eyeing him suspiciously. 

He chuckled. “Why do you assume it’s something bad?” 

“Because that’s your I’m-up-to-mischief grin, or your I’ve-really-got-to-fart grin,” she answered, pointing at him. 

Bobby laughed uproariously. “You know me so well,” he said, pulling a heart monitor from behind his back. 

“That’s the heart monitor from the challenge,” Jude said. 

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Bobby joked. 

Jude smacked him playfully in the arm. “Shut up! Why do you have it?” 

“Well, I just thought, now that the challenge is over, nothing’s stopping us from seeing if we can really get our hearts racing. You know… in private.” 

Jude’s lips stretched in a slow smirk. “Oh, I see…” 

Bobby smirked in return. “So you in?” 

Jude held out her arm. “Hook me up, then!” 

Bobby and Jude snickered together as they helped each other attach the wires of the heart monitors. 

“Right,” Bobby said finally. “Okay, so it says my heart rate is 70 bpm, and yours is 64 bpm.” 

“What should we do to up those numbers a little?” Jude said. 

Bobby hummed. “Making out might be a good way to go, or…” He slowly turned to Jude and raised his hands. “Tickles!” 

Jude’s eyes went wide. “Oh, nonono. Don’t you dare. I'm so ticklish.” 

Bobby grinned evilly. “You definitely shouldn’t have said that.” And suddenly his hands were on Jude, tickling her sides. 

She let out a high-pitched squeal. “Nooooo!” She squirmed under him, but Bobby’s fingers didn’t let up. 

“You are at my mercy!” He cackled.

“Have pity!” She cried, laughing all the way. Suddenly, she shot her arm out and tickled him back. 

Bobby yelped, his fingers stilling on Jude for a fraction of a second, which she took as her opening and pounced on Bobby. 

“Stop! Stop!” He laughed. 

“This is revenge!” She tickled him harder, and he descended into fits of giggles. Eventually, she relented. 

“Truce?” Jude asked, holding out her pinky. 

“Truce,” Bobby agreed, wrapping his pinky around hers. As she let go, he pretended to go for another tickle.

“No!” Jude yelped and scrambled back on the bench, making Bobby crack up. 

Bobby laughed. He looked down at the heart monitor. “Woah, hey, that shot my pulse up to 90 bpm!”

“Being a traitor will do that to ya,” Jude said. Suddenly, her face dropped into a frown. “What is that?” 

Bobby stopped smiling. “What?” 

“That,” Jude insisted. “Behind you.” 

Bobby started to turn around. 

“No, don’t look!” Jude reached out to him. She got closer, looking over his shoulder. Bobby’s heart started pounding. 

“What is it?” He asked.

“Don’t. Move,” Jude whispered. She leaned over Bobby’s shoulder. “Why is that thing laughing at you?”

“What?!” Bobby yelped, his head whipping around. He looked for the thing Jude was pointing at, but instead of finding some fantastical creature, there was simply nothing. _What the hell?_

“Boo,” Jude whispered into his ear before quickly sticking her tongue in it. 

Bobby just about jumped out of his skin. “Argh!” 

Jude fell back, creased with laughter. “Your face!” she cried. 

Bobby’s heartbeat started calming down, and he swallowed down his heart, which had jumped into his throat. Jude kept laughing. Slowly, he felt himself start smiling. 

“You think you’re so funny, do you?” He asked teasingly. 

Jude bounced on her knees. “I think I’m a bloody prank master, I am,” she laughed, her hands on her hips. Her grin was wide and brilliant and it illuminated the night sky. Bobby looked at her in total adoration. 

“I’ll get you back for that,” he warned her, which only made her laugh again. 

“Oh, I hope you do,” she smirked. 

Bobby’s heart swelled. _I love you,_ he wanted to say. _It’s too early,_ he reasoned with himself. _Don’t freak her out, don’t freak her out._

Jude’s face softened. “You all right? You’ve gone all quiet. I haven’t scared you for real, have I?” 

Bobby laughed. “No, I’m all good. I was just thinking…” _I love you._ “How lucky I am to be up here with you.” 

Jude grinned. “You’re so corny,” she giggled. 

“But you like it, right?” He teased her. 

“Absolutely,” she said. 

Bobby leaned in and took Jude’s face in his hands, tracing his fingers along her cheekbones. He heard her breathing hitch as he gazed into her eyes. 

“You gonna kiss me already?” She whispered. 

He chuckled. “So impatient, Toe Queen.” 

“We’ve discussed this already,” she said. “Patience is not my thing.”

He looked at her a few more seconds. “Yeah, mine either,” he finally said, grinning, and he leaned down, catching Jude’s lips with his. 

The kiss started off slow. Jude’s lips still tasted like the strawberries and pineapples they’d eaten earlier, sweet and a little tangy too. Bobby softly sucked on her bottom lip, and her mouth parted slightly. As his tongue circled hers, and she tangled her fingers in his locs, Jude gave a breathy moan. 

“Bobby,” she whispered against his mouth.

Suddenly the thirst was back. This wasn’t enough. He wanted her closer. Wanted her more. Bobby grabbed at her hips, pressing her closer, her chest arching into him. The kisses heated up, both of them struggling to catch their breath as their mouths met again and again, soft moans escaping them both. Jude’s nails scraped at the nape of his neck, then down his back. Very carefully, Bobby lowered her down onto the bench, straddling her as their tongues tangled frantically, exploring each other. He vaguely felt Jude lift a leg and wrap it around his waist, and he nearly went insane. He pressed his chest down to hers, desperate to feel her against him, his hand sliding up from her hip and slipping under her sweater, the warmth of her skin filling his senses. 

Instantly, he felt Jude tense up under his touch. “Stop, stop,” she breathed, trying to catch her breath.

Bobby pulled back immediately. “What’s wrong?” 

In the dim light of the terrace, he saw Jude’s cheeks flush. “Sorry, I—” She blurted. “I know this will sound a bit mad, but I’m not ready for… _that_. Yet.” 

Bobby instantly felt like a knob. “Of course,” he said, pulling Jude’s shirt back down. He got off her, helping her up into a sitting position. “I’m really sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

She stared down at her hands. “Sorry, I feel like I’m sending you mixed signals,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to, I—” 

“No, love, never ever apologize for telling me how you feel or what you need,” he said. “Just because we have this... chemistry between us, it doesn’t mean that we’re emotionally ready to go further. I should have talked to you about boundaries instead of, like, groping you.”

“No, I liked the groping. I... I like your hands and your kisses, and–and you,” she said. “I’m probably just getting in my own head.” 

“How so?” He asked, pushing a stray curl behind her ear.

“Well… My relationships usually fizzle out long before we get to the physical stage. I know I’m all about the show, like I was tonight, but like, my pace is usually much, much slower than this. My friends call it ‘glacial’, though I’ve gotten ‘frigid’ from the odd ex or two. But in here, with you, it’s more like, ‘Warp speed, Mr. Sulu!’” She blushed a little. “Um, sorry, _Star Trek_ reference. They slip out now and again. Seriously, I need an off button, I’m as bad as Chelsea with the babbling sometimes. But, uh, yeah. The point was, it’s all moving very fast. I don’t want to push you away,” she said, looking down. “But I don’t want to disappoint you.” 

Bobby’s heart dropped a little. “Juju,” he said softly. He reached out and lifted her chin. “Nothing about you would ever disappoint me. Whatever pace suits you, is good for me. And those who called you frigid were dickheads.”

She let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah, you're not wrong there.” Her face softened. “Thanks for getting it.” Jude leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Bobby’s lips. “You’re the best.” 

“Hold up, let me get my phone out,” Bobby joked. “Can you text that to my mum?” 

Jude laughed. “Never mind, I take it back. You’re the worst!” 

“Aww, snap!” 

Jude leaned back against his chest, and he wrapped her in a cuddle. “I’m so grateful we’re together,” she said.

“Me too,” Bobby said, kissing her temple. _I love you._

Jude shivered as a light breeze blew past them. 

"Do you wanna go back in?" Bobby asked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. 

"Hmm..." Jude hummed. "Let's stay out here a bit longer. I'm too comfy to move." She tucked herself closer to him.

Bobby chuckled. "Alright, Toe Queen. I'll keep you warm." 

Several blissful minutes passed in silence, the two of them simply breathing next to each other. After a while, Bobby noticed Jude's breathing grow slower and more regular, soft snores escaping past her lips.

"Jude?" He whispered carefully into her ear. "Babe?"

Nothing. 

_She's dead to the world, poor thing,_ he thought, amused. As carefully as he could, Bobby untangled himself from her embrace. 

"Mmm," Jude suddenly moaned, and Bobby froze, thinking he'd woken her up. But she simply sighed and kept on snoring. 

Bobby chuckled. _She's the cutest thing when she sleeps,_ he thought, carefully tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before slipping an arm under her knees and the other behind her back and lifting her, not without some effort. Bobby wasn't the strongest guy, but Jude wasn't particularly heavy, either. He could carry her down to the bedroom, no problem. 

After struggling a little on the staircase, Bobby padded into the bedroom, a little out of breath. Most of the others were already snoring away in their beds, the sheets rising and falling softly with their breaths. 

Bobby carefully laid Jude down on their bed. She moaned a little as he tucked her in. "Bobby..."

"Shh, it's alright Toe Queen," he whispered, bending down to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep tight, I'll be right there."

"Hmmm," Jude breathed, rolling over in her sleep. 

Bobby ran up the stairs to the bathroom. He took a shower and changed into his pajamas as fast as he possibly could, brushing his teeth like a madman, before running back down to the bedroom. He quietly slid into bed and wrapped an arm around Jude, spooning her. 

Instantly, as though she was awake, she flipped around and threw an arm over him, pulling him closer and snuggling into his chest. Bobby's heart did cartwheels inside his chest as she sighed contentedly. 

"Love you, Juju," he whispered, kissing the top of her head before resting his cheek against it. Just as he started to drift off, he thought he heard her mumble something, but the words were muffled by his T-shirt and by the sleepy cotton already stuffing his ears.


	13. Reunion Special 1: The Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to have this up last week, but the end of the semester creeped up on me and my professors won't let me BREATHE guys. But today I finally managed to take a break from essay-writing and DNA sequence analyses to get the editing done on this bonus and the next lol. So hope you enjoy! 
> 
> *** WARNING: The last third of this chapter (starts when Jude and Bobby are in the taxi riding back to the hotel) contains smut. I've only written smut once before so if it's terrible please don't judge me. I tried lol. And of course, please feel free to skip that section if you're underage or don't feel comfortable reading sex scenes!

“I’m so not ready for this,” muttered Jude as she threw the taxi's door open. 

Bobby laughed. “Yeah, I can’t wait to see Rocco either. Him and Lottie together in the same room again, that’s gonna go down a treat.” 

Jude cracked a smile, but her stomach was crawling with nerves at the prospect of seeing all the Islanders together again for the first time in a year.

Since she and Bobby had won Love Island last August, Jude’s life had been a literal hurricane. Since the moment she’d stepped out of the Villa, she’d been bombarded with interviews, bookings for appearances and requests for brand deals. Her Instagram follower count had basically exploded overnight, and had continued to grow steadily over the past months. Even with the compulsory media training the Islanders had all received before being released from the Villa, nothing could have prepared Jude for the shock of seeing her name in the headlines of every paper and all over Twitter. And even someone who loved attention as much as she did had found it difficult to adjust to her new life in the public’s eye. 

But she’d managed to make her way through the good and the bad that came with life after Love Island. She and Bobby had both been overwhelmed at the amount of support they’d received from the public, who’d apparently dubbed them Hashtag Juby and hailed them as the next great Love Island love story, which was lovely, if a bit much, in her opinion. What really mattered to her was what her family and friends thought about her run, and she’d been grateful to find that they were ecstatic for her and Bobby. 

“Aren’t you glad I made you go on that show?” Her cousin Leanne had laughed, hugging her tightly. She’d come to pick her up from Heathrow, a few days after the finale. It had seemed like the entire population of London had come out to greet them, including the families and friends of the finalists and crowds of screaming fans. 

Jude had laughed back. “I admit it maybe wasn’t the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

“Hate to say it, but I told you so,” she’d smirked. “We’ve been rooting for you and Bobby since day one. You two are meant for each other.” 

Of course, for every positive message, there were negative ones. Mostly, they were directed at Jude. Criticizing her for leading Bobby on for so long, for the way she’d handled things with Noah, and Lucas, and Henrik. Accusing her of only getting with Bobby to win the show. Calling her a bitch, a fame-whore, a snake, telling her she didn’t deserve Bobby and he could do better than her. Those comments hurt the most, and as much as she tried not to let them get to her, she was only human. 

But Bobby had been there with her every step of the way. Somehow, together they’d managed to navigate the shitstorm that had followed them over those few initial months after the end of the show. And as the couples formed in the Villa had fallen like flies, she and Bobby had only gotten stronger. They’d moved in together, using part of the prize money to put a down payment on an apartment in Glasgow. Bobby’s mates and family had welcomed her with open arms, and, in Big Jonno’s case, with a wet sloppy kiss which had left her speechless and Bobby roaring with laughter. She found she adjusted well to life in Glasgow, quickly finding her groove between the new band she’d joined, the fashion column she’d been asked to write for Elle UK, public appearances, brand deals and her personal life. 

Bobby, on his end, had used his share of the money to buy a space in downtown Glasgow and renovate it into a bakery. He’d been hesitant about it at first, but Jude had encouraged him to go for it. 

“What are you worried about? You’re an amazing baker, babe,” she’d told him one night as they lay in bed, tangled up in each other.

“I’m not worried about the baking part,” he’d mumbled, running his fingers through her hair the way he always did after sex. “It’s the running a bakery part I’m worried about. I’ve got no idea how to, like, hire employees, and order supplies and manage a store and stuff. What if I’m a shit boss?” 

Jude flopped onto her stomach and rested her chin on his chest. “You care too much about people to be a shit boss. Remember Judge Bobby?” she giggled. “Besides, there’s people who can do that admin stuff for you, you know? Like managers and stuff.” She paused. “Anyway, those are all things you can figure out. The bakery is your dream. You’ve got to take the risk. Because, as a wise woman once said, if you never take a risk then you’ll never do anything at all.” 

“I do believe I have heard that somewhere before,” Bobby teased. “Gary's nan is a very wise woman indeed. And, like, maybe a wee bit sexy.”

Jude laughed. “I always knew my biggest competition was the Nan.” 

Bobby nodded. “Mm-hmm. I may know a bloke or two who would risk it all for Mrs Rennell.”

Jude smirked. “I better step up my game then, and show you what you’d be missing.” She straddled Bobby and slowly rocked on him, trailing kisses up his chest. Bobby moaned as she started sucking his neck, his hands gripping her hips as he started getting harder under her again. 

With a giggle, Jude pressed her lips to his. “Whatever you decide to do,” she’d murmured, “I’ll be there with you the entire way.” 

She’d felt Bobby smile against her lips, then he’d pulled her back onto him as they’d launched into the second round of the night. A few weeks later, Bobby had found his space and started the process of remodeling it. He and Jude had spent many late nights pouring over construction permits, health certifications and design planners, until they’d simply given up and had Marisol hook them up with a friend of hers who did corporate law and helped the two of them navigate the legal mumbo jumbo of opening a business. 

Six months later, Bobby’s Boops opened to great fanfare, just a week before they received Chelsea’s invite to the Love Island reunion. She’d planned it for May, a month before the new season of Love Island was due to start and they’d be classified “old news” according to Chelsea. While Jude was pleased to finally pass on the torch to a new group of Islanders, she couldn’t help feeling nostalgic. Just a year ago, she’d been one of those bright-eyed young people ready to spend the summer of their life in Mallorca. She remembers how skeptical she’d been about the whole love thing, joking with her mates about the improbability of finding someone she really clicked with on a silly reality TV show. 

“I’m just gonna go, have some fun, get a tan, maybe snog a couple of fit boys and come back home,” she’d laughed. “No fuss.”

 _Well, look how that turned out for me,_ Jude thought, smiling towards Bobby as he offered her his elbow. She looped her hand around it.

“Let’s do this then!” He grinned, walking up to the venue Chelsea had booked for their reunion. She must’ve somehow managed to keep the address a secret, because there weren’t photographers and reporters like there was at official Love Island press events. This reunion wasn’t for the public – it was just a get together for those who wanted and could make it, to catch up and cap off what had been the craziest year of their lives.

For Jude, the timing of the reunion couldn’t have been more perfect. Over the last several weeks, she’d had a question she’d wanted to ask Bobby. An important question, and she kept shitting the bed every time she tried to bring it up. But tonight, there was no chickening out. She was gonna do it. She brushed her hand over her purse, and she could swear she could almost feel the ring that now rested in a velvet box inside it. 

_This is it,_ Jude thought, the flutters returning to her stomach. _I’m going to ask the love of my life to marry me._

At first, she’d been hesitant whether she should even be doing this. 

“I know it’s the man who’s supposed to propose,” she’d ranted to Priya over Facetime one night. “I don’t want him to feel, like, embarrassed or not manly or something.”

“Fuck that shit,” Priya had said. “It’s the 21st century. Who cares who proposes to who? If you love Bobby and you feel like you’re ready, go for it.” 

And Jude was ready. She’d known she was ready for a while now. It had crept up on her, like her feelings for Bobby had during their time on Love Island, then hit her all at once in a single moment. 

It was a normal Saturday evening, and Jude and Bobby were cooking together. They had meant to go out on a date that evening, but they’d abandoned their plans in favour of a chill night in, watching Netflix and making out on the sofa. Bobby was making spaghetti carbonara, Jude’s favourite, and a lemon pound cake was already baking in the oven, filling the kitchen with a sweet and tart aroma. They’d been laughing about some dumb joke Bobby had made comparing his willy to the lamp from Aladdin when Jude had thought, _This is what I want for the rest of my life._

The realization had hit her like a ton of bricks. _Holy fuck. I want to marry Bobby._

Up until a few months ago, Jude had been completely and thoroughly convinced that marriage and the 2.5 kids, white picket fence life was absolutely not for her. Not when most of her relationships struggled to make it past the six-month mark. She’d live her life the way she wanted, maybe get a pet or two, and if the right person came along and wanted to share that with her, great. 

But then she’d met Bobby, and he’d changed everything.

That wasn’t to say she wasn’t still scared shitless. She was scared every day that that instinct to run that had plagued her for so many years would kick in at any moment. She was scared every day that her mum’s disease would sink its vicious claws into her, and she could never give Bobby the life he dreamed of, or worse, that she’d destroy him like it had destroyed her to see her mum go that way. But life was about taking risks, as she often told herself and others. 

_Or you'll never end up doing anything,_ Jude thought, smiling at the memories associated with that little sentence. 

Bobby’s family had been ecstatic when she’d talked to them about it. His sister Fiona, with whom Jude got on particularly well, had burst into tears.

“You make each other so happy,” she’d sobbed, hugging Jude tightly. She’d even offered to come ring shopping with Jude, but not before she’d been sworn to secrecy until the big day. Fiona, like Bobby, was a bit of a blabbermouth, but so far she’d managed to keep Jude’s secret under wraps. 

Apart from them, she had only shared the news with her auntie and cousin, who’d both screamed so loudly over Skype that Jude had to slam her laptop shut before Bobby could hear the noise and come wondering what all the fuss was about. 

“Dibs on maid of honor!” had cried Leanne as soon as Jude reopened the chat a few minutes later.

Jude hadn’t even told her best bra about her proposal yet. Apart from Priya and Shannon, none of the former Islanders knew about her plans. As much as it killed her, she couldn’t risk Chelsea slipping up again and dropping a hint to Bobby before anything could come of it, like she’d done when she’d first told her she liked Bobby, and when she’d spilled about Bobby loving her before he could say it. 

_She’s not going to be in the dark for much longer, though,_ thought Jude. She blinked hard as she and Bobby stepped into the reunion venue, the bright lights dazzling her after the darkness of the night outside. 

_Is that… pineapple and mango?_ Jude wondered, sniffing the air around her. _Priya must not be far, then._

“Wow, look at that,” Bobby said, his eyes swivelling around the venue. “Chelsea really went all out tonight, eh?” 

They were in a large ballroom illuminated by blue and purple flashing neons. Overhead, a huge disco ball projected light all around the marble floor, covering the Islanders in glitter. 

Jude smiled as she saw everyone that had turned up. They were strewn about the room in small groups, talking, laughing, champagne in hand while music blared overhead. 

“Yeah,” Jude agreed with Bobby. “It’s incredible.” 

“Looks like we’re the last ones to arrive,” Bobby remarked. “That’s so us.”

“Um, is it?” Jude said, her voice cracking a little as she swallowed down the worms that crawled around in her abdomen.

Bobby looked down at her, frowning slightly. “Is everything okay, love? You look a little pale.” 

_Dammit, why does he have to be so good at reading my face?_ “Yep, I’m fine!” she blurted out. “Everything’s fine!” 

Bobby raised an eyebrow. “Well that was convincing. You know, Juju, it’s okay if you’re a bit overwhelmed,” he said. “There’s so much going on in this room right now. Maybe we should—” 

He was interrupted by a loud screech. 

“JUDE!” Chelsea screamed, barreling towards them at full speed, teetering on her stilettos. Jude barely had time to open her arms before she was being crushed in a hug. Jude laughed, wrapping her arms tightly around Chelsea, the two of them swaying side to side.

When Chelsea pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. “I missed you so much, girl!”

Jude grinned. “I missed you too, babes!”

Chelsea squeaked and pulled her back into a quick embrace. When she pulled back again, her eyes darted behind Jude. “Oh, and you too, Bobby.” 

Bobby laughed. “Hey Chelsea, how are—” 

But Chelsea had already turned back towards the others. “Everyone! Jude’s finally here! Oh, and Bobby too.” 

“Really feeling the love here, Chels,” Bobby sighed. 

As Chelsea dragged Jude towards the main area, they were met by various greetings from the others. 

“There she is!” said Priya, strutting up to hug Jude first. “I thought I was going to be the one to make the dramatic entrance, but you totally upstaged me.” 

Jude grinned. “We can go out and come back in together if you like. Doors banging open, floodlights behind us, epic music, the whole lot. What do you say?” 

Priya laughed. “It’s a plan for next time.” 

Gary was next, enveloping Jude in a bear hug. “Now it’s a proper party!” He said, turning to clap Bobby on the back. “Nice to see you, mate!”

“Nice to see you too, bruv!” Bobby said, hugging Gary back. “It’s so great to have the gang all back together!” 

Jude was swarmed in a flood of hugs as everyone came up to say hello. Almost everyone had shown up – all of the original Islanders and Lucas, Henrik and Jakub were there. The notable no-shows were the girls and boys from Casa Amor, except Shannon. Elisa had also been unable to attend, having recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue her influencer career. 

_Not that I'm upset to not see Blake again,_ Jude thought as she finally arrived at the end of the throng of hugging ex-Islanders. Chelsea took her hand. 

“I missed everyone being together, but not as much as I’ve missed you, babes,” she said, smiling. “What have you been up to? Tell me everything!” 

Jude grinned. “Oh, you know. A bit of this, a bit of that.” She shot a sly grin at Bobby, who’d reappeared at her side. “Moving in with this one was a big highlight, I’d say.” 

Bobby grinned as she laid her head on his shoulder, and wound his arm around her waist. 

“Awww!” cooed Chelsea. “How’s the new place, by the way?” 

“It’s really nice,” said Bobby. 

“You still haven’t come up to Glasgow to decorate it yet!” Jude reminded her. “I need that rug, mug and pug we’ve talked about, babes!” 

Chelsea squealed. “Oh em gee, totally! We have to figure out a week for me to come up there and go crazy with furniture together! I’ve literally been so bored without you,” she complained. “Well, actually, I did have this one really fun job though. This guy wanted me to make his house into the Villa. But it was only a two-up-two-down terrace, and so I had to get creative. I replaced his cooker with a firepit, and I had to fill the sitting room with sand—” 

Jude’s eyebrows shot up. “Sand?! But there wasn’t sand in the Villa!” 

“He did try to say that too, but I wanted to give the place a beach outing feel… Like on girl’s day!” 

Jude blinked hard. “Makes total sense, hun.”

“Right?! I thought so too! He wasn’t pleased because the sand got everywhere, but in the end we came to a compromise… We put the sand in the backyard.” Chelsea paused as she took a breath. “Anyway! I’m going to go and get us some drinks. See you in a bit, babes!” 

“See you in a bit, girl,” Jude sighed as Chelsea hugged her and skipped off towards the refreshments table. 

“See you, Chelsea!” Bobby called after her. He shook his head, grinning. “She’s exactly the same as I remember.” 

“Hard to forget her,” Jude agreed. “God, I love my bra.” 

“Are you even wearing one?” Bobby asked, looking down her neckline. She’d worn one of her favourite dresses, a black sequined mini that clung tightly to her curves and glimmered under the flashing lights.

“Eyes up here, mister,” Jude said with a laugh, tapping a finger under his chin. 

Bobby pouted. “Why’d you wear that dress if you didn’t want me to look?”

Jude smirked. “To torture you, of course.” 

Bobby groaned. “You’ll be the death of me, woman,” he said, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her closer.

Jude’s smile grew even larger as he leaned down to kiss her. Even a year into their relationship, her heart still skipped a beat every time Bobby called her beautiful, every time his eyes roamed her body. It made her feel sexy and unstoppable. 

Bobby pulled away from the kiss first. “Right, I can’t do this,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s go.” 

“Go where?” Jude asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. 

“Anywhere. The loo, the hotel, back home. I can’t stay here and keep my hands off you when you’re looking like a snack and looking at me like that.”

Jude burst into laughter. “Patience, grasshopper,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. “We’ll be back at the hotel tonight and you’ll be able to do whatever you want with me.” _Hopefully, as my fiancé,_ Jude thought, butterflies taking flight in her stomach. 

Bobby grinned. “I like the sound of that,” he said. “Right, who should we say hi to first? You know, and speed up the return to the hotel process.” 

Jude elbowed him lightly in the ribs as they started off towards the knot made up of Priya, Shannon, Lucas and Gary. “And here I thought I was the impatient one in this relationship.” 

“You’re clearly a bad influence,” Bobby said, reaching up to ruffle her hair. 

Jude yelped, her hands flying up to her head. “Careful!”

Bobby smirked. “Why? I was under the impression you liked the mussed-up look.”

Jude looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Down, boy. You’ll start tenting and scar all these poor people for life,” she said, gesturing around the room. 

“Pfft, we’ve shared a bedroom and a shower for like two months with them. Pretty sure everyone here’s seen everyone’s bits at one point or another.” 

Jude shuddered. “Ugh, you’re right. I’ll never be able to get the image of Gary’s balls out of my memory. It’s like it’s burned into my retinas.” 

“Oi!” Bobby chuckled, flicking her forehead. “You better erase that image, Toe Queen, or you’re not getting any of this man cake tonight.” 

Jude let out a huge, fake, heaving sob. “Nooo, don’t take my man cake away!” 

“Did I hear something about cake?” asked someone whose voice sounded a lot like Gary’s. 

Jude and Bobby shot each other a knowing look. “Sorry, Gaz,” Bobby said, looping an arm around her shoulders. “This is a special cake. Reserved only for my Juju.” 

Jude grinned as Gary pouted. “That’s well unfair. By the way, you still owe my Nan that bake off, you know Bobs?” 

Bobby laughed, and Jude leaned against him as they launched into conversation with their friends, chatting and reminiscing about the good old times in the Villa. 

* * *

A few hours later, Jude was starting to get antsy. The party was winding down a little and the Islanders, exhausted from dancing and completely boozed up, were showing signs of starting to leave. Hope and Noah had already made an early exit, both of them feeling a little awkward around each other and their ex-roommates. Henrik and Jakub had also left shortly after, both needing a good night’s sleep as Henrik was heading out on a hiking trip the following morning and Jakub had an early photoshoot. Jude was glad she’d already caught up with them.

For the most part, everyone was good. Marisol was still in law school, having split with Graham shortly after they were dumped from the Villa. Apparently, it had been a mutual decision, and he was now in a relationship with a contestant from a previous season of the show who had DM’d him on Instagram. Lucas and Priya had tried dating for a few weeks outside of the Villa, but eventually their fast-paced and demanding careers had driven them apart. Chelsea and Henrik had parted from the Villa as friends and had remained very close. Hannah and Elijah had also separated, and in a twist of fate absolutely everyone had seen coming, the latter was now dating Arjun from Casa Amor. Rocco and Jakub were still their single selves, coming up with new vomit-inducing novelty cocktails and modeling for various bodybuilding magazines, respectively. 

Of the Villa’s strong couples, only Rahim and Jo had remained together, surprising everybody. Many had thought that given how quickly they’d rushed into their relationship, the shine of the honeymoon stage would wear off and they would break up eventually. But they still seemed to be deliriously happy with each other, shuttling back and forth between their respective athletic events and gassing up each other’s accomplishments. Jude begrudgingly had to admit that she’d misjudged them and had wished them the best. 

Noah and Hope, on the other hand, had flamed out pretty much instantly when they’d come out of the Villa and Hope was made aware of Noah’s cracking on behind her back. She’d predictably not taken the whole thing well, and the backlash she’d received over her behaviour on the show had not helped, as she got slammed online for being possessive, obsessive and downright manipulative, while Noah got panned for the way he’d strung Hope along for the entirety of the season. Both her and Noah had pretty much disappeared from the media in those few initial weeks after the finale as they waited for the heat to blow over, then they’d each released individual statements apologizing for their actions while in the Villa. They’d both also reached out to Jude and Bobby personally to make amends, and while they’d all agreed that they would never be close friends, they would put everything that happened in Mallorca behind them and move on with their lives. 

Lottie and Gary had dated for eight months after the show. They had only separated a few weeks prior to the reunion, after Lottie had received an offer to be a celebrity’s personal stylist and had made the decision to move to Los Angeles. Gary had categorically refused, wanting to remain in the UK to be close to his aging Nan who’d recently suffered a bad fall and needed hip surgery. Eventually, both their stubborn characters had led them to mutually agree that no compromise could be reached and that it was best to call it a day on their relationship. The breakup was still fresh and raw, and Jude saw the longing looks the two of them sent each other from across the room. She had no doubt that they’d end up banging in a hotel room that night.

Now, as she watched everyone gather around the drinks table, chatting idly, Jude knew it had to be now or never. She took a deep breath, wiggling her fingers to dry to shake the numbness that had started overtaking them. The worms in her stomach were now full-blown butterflies, flying blindly and knocking against her insides. 

_Okay, here I go._ She cleared her throat and started tapping the side of her glass with a spoon. Shannon heard the high-pitched dings first and turned towards her. 

“What’s up, babe?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. Jude gave her an imperceptible nod, and Shannon widened her eyes, her mouth quirking up. 

“Guys, Jude’s giving a speech!” She yelled. 

Everyone turned to look at Jude.

 _Oh my God, I’m really about to do this._

“Um, sort of,” Jude said, her voice shaky. She gulped down hard, then turned to look at Bobby, who looked as confused as the others. Jude took his hand and looked into his eyes, the warm honey colour instantly calming her down. 

_Nothing else matters,_ she thought. _I love this man. And he loves me._ Jude took a deep breath and began.

“Bobby,” she started. “A year ago, I got a call from a producer who told me I was being casted on this little show called Love Island. You may have heard of it,” she joked, looking around at the Islanders gathered around them, arising some chuckles. “I walked into the Villa cynical, jaded and with walls thicker than Gary's arse. I thought I was going there for a free vacation and the chance to snog some fit boys and maybe make a quick buck, if I got lucky. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that I would find someone in there who would become not only my lover, but my very best friend in this world. Ever since I fell for your silly face,” she grinned, playfully pinching Bobby’s cheek, “I’ve grown to love you more every day. You’ve made me a better person in every sense of the term. You’ve helped me get over so many of my fears and my doubts, and loved me for who I am, cracks and all. I feel so extremely lucky every day that I get to wake up next to you and make you as happy as you make me. And I want to continue to do that for the rest of my life.” 

Jude vaguely heard a few shocked intakes of air as the others started to catch on to what she was doing. Chelsea squealed. But Jude couldn’t take her eyes off Bobby, whose mouth had dropped open and whose eyebrows were skyrocketing towards his hairline. 

“And so, Bobby, I have a very important question for you tonight.” With a quick movement, Jude reached behind Bobby’s ear and returned with the ring clasped between her fingers. “Will you make me the happiest girl on Earth and marry me?” 

The room went dead silent, and Jude thought she could actually hear her heart beating, her pulse pounding loudly in her ears as she waited for his answer. 

Bobby clasped his hands over his mouth in shock, then dropped them. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. He ran a hand over his head, then rested it on his forehead. 

“Oh my God,” he breathed, his tear-filled eyes locking with Jude’s. “Is this really happening? This isn’t a dream?”

Jude reached over and pinched his arm. 

Bobby yelped. “Oi! What was that for?”

“Of course it’s really happening, you nonce. Stop ruining my beautiful moment.” 

“You’re the one ruining my beautiful moment. Who’s ever heard of a girl pinching her fiancé while she’s proposing?” He said, rubbing his arm. 

Jude’s lips stretched into a grin. “My fiancé?”

“Bloody right!” Bobby stopped rubbing his arm and took Jude’s hands in his. He looked into her eyes. “Jude Duarte, you’re the love of my life. You make each new day an adventure, and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for us. There’s no one I’d rather have by my side than my partner in crime. You’re the melon to my baller, the frosting to my cupcake, the sunshine to my rainy days and I love you so much. So, yes.” 

“Yes what?” Jude asked petulantly, her grin widening so much it made her cheeks hurt. 

“Yes, I will marry you, you crazy lass!” 

The whole room erupted in cheers from their fellow Islanders, but Jude paid no attention to them. She squealed and jumped on Bobby, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist and spun her around, both of them laughing wildly. As he set her down, she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him hard as a bubble of pure elation rose up within her, threatening to simply make her float away. They pulled apart, both of them smiling harder than they’d ever had. 

“I love you so much,” Bobby whispered. 

“Love you more,” Jude whispered back, going to brush his cheek, when she suddenly felt something hard between her fingers and remembered the ring. 

“Oh, oops! I guess you’ll be wanting this now,” she laughed. 

“Ooh, yes, gimme the bling,” Bobby said, taking the ring and putting it on his finger. “Hmm, bit tight.”

Jude’s stomach dropped. She grabbed his hand. “What? But Fiona said—” 

“I’m just kidding, it’s perfect,” he said, snatching his hand back and raising it up, tilting it this way and that as the lights flickered off it. “Pretty.” 

Jude huffed. “You’re like a toddler playing with his mum’s jewelry.” 

“Hey, don’t be jealous cause I have a girlfriend who spoils me,” he said. A slow grin spread across his face. “Sorry. Fiancée.” 

Jude’s heartbeat scrambled a little at his use of the word, and her thoughts could most closely be summed up by the sound _eeeeeeeek._

Bobby nodded his head to the side. “Now, I believe there are some people who are waiting to say some things to us.” 

Jude barely had time to turn before she was being tackled by a blonde and pink storm. 

“OH EM GEE!” screamed Chelsea. “I can’t believe this! This is the happiest day of my life!” 

Jude laughed as she felt Priya come up on her other side, wrapping her arms around both her and Chelsea. “Congrats, babe!” 

“Mate! Nice one!” She heard Gary saying beyond Chelsea and Priya’s arms, Bobby laughing in response.

Soon, they were swarmed with hugs and congratulations from the others, and Jude was so deliriously happy that she barely registered whose arms were around her, whose lips were kissing her cheeks. 

“You have to let me help plan your wedding!!” Chelsea said as the swarm of Islanders dispersed from around Jude, jumping up and down.

“Of course!” said Bobby. 

“Who else would we trust with it?” said Jude, squeezing her friend’s hand. Chelsea squealed, pulling Jude into another hug.

“Let’s start right away!” 

Jude and Chelsea both turned towards Bobby, whose cheeks pinkened.

Lottie cleared her throat. “Um, aren’t you rushing a bit? You got engaged, like, five seconds ago.” 

“Why wait? We should do it as soon as possible!” Bobby argued. 

Jude laughed. “Loving the enthusiasm, babes! You’re right – let’s not mess about, let’s just do it!” 

Bobby kissed her on the cheek. “You get me, Toe Queen.” 

“Which is perfect, because I’m marrying you.” 

“Damn straight,” Bobby grinned, giggling. 

“Alright you two, calm it with the heart-eyes,” Shannon said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Jude. “I guess first things first, who’s going to be your maid of honour? And who’s going to be Bobby’s best man?”

“Wait, what if I also want to be the maid of honour?” Bobby asked. 

“You might be a bit busy being the groom, hun,” Jude pointed out. “Leave that to someone else.” 

Bobby pouted.

“Ugh, all these terms are so old fashioned,” grimaced Lottie. “Why not just call them, like, ‘best person’ and be done with it.”

“Hey, yeah!” grinned Bobby. “I like that. Who do you want as your best person then, Juju?”

Jude rolled her eyes at the use of the nickname.

Chelsea bounced up and down, raising her hand in the air. “Ooh, me! Me! I want to be your best person!” 

Jude smiled. “Well, I was already planning on asking you! As long as you’re fine being co-person with Leanne, cause she called dibs on maid of honour.” 

“Totally!” Chelsea squealed. “Agh! I’m so excited! I have all the ideas!” All of a sudden, she froze. “Wait… Lee knew about this? How come she knew and I didn’t?” 

Jude’s cheeks flushed. “What about you, babe?” she asked, dodging Chelsea’s question by turning to Bobby. “Who’re you picking to be your best person?” 

Bobby looked around. A smile grew on his face as his eyes fell on Gary. “Hey, Big G! How would you like to be my best person?” 

Gary’s grin stretched nearly as wide as Bobby’s. “I’d love to!” Suddenly, his face fell. He scratched his head. “Oh, mate… I think I need to get a better suit.”

Jude chuckled. “Plenty of time to sort that out before the wedding, Gaz,” she said. 

“By the way,” Lottie jumped in, “If you need someone to officiate you wedding, I can totally do that. I’ve done one before.”

“Oh! I can do ceremonies too!” Rocco shouted. “I got a license over the Internet.”

“Woah, woah, woah, wait a second,” Priya said over the excitement. “If being the officiant is an option, I want to volunteer! I’d love to marry you two.” 

Jude smirked. “Wow Priya, I didn’t know you were into stuff like that, but I’m sure we can make arrangements. You get Bobby two nights a week, I get five. Seems fair.”

Everyone burst out laughing. 

“Not like that, dirty birdy!” Priya giggled. “I want to marry you, as in make you an official couple.” 

“We’re just teasing you, Pri,” Bobby assured her. “And we’d love for you to do it.” 

Priya squealed. “Yes! You won’t be disappointed!” 

“Of course not,” Jude grinned. “You always bring the fire, Pri.” 

Priya winked. “You know it, baby.” 

“Look at that, we’ve just got engaged and my fiancée is already cracking on with another woman right under my nose,” sighed Bobby, making everyone crack up. 

“Oh no!” joked Jude. “We’ve been discovered! Run, Priya, save yourself!”

Once the laughter died down a little, Bobby spoke up again. “Is that it though? We’ve basically planned the whole wedding, haven’t we?” 

“Oh, honey, you haven’t even started planning anything,” Chelsea chuckled. “But that’s why I’m here. As best person of the bride—” 

“Co-best person,” pointed out Jude. 

“And officially designated Official Wedding Organizer,” Chelsea continued, “I have an amazing idea already. What if we get a carriage pulled by unicorns?!”

Jude masked her laugh as a coughing fit. “Um… It might be hard to find some.”

“Yeah, I heard it isn’t the right season for them,” Rocco joked, and Jude bit her lip so as to not laugh.

Priya cringed a little. “Um, I think what Jude is too nice to say here is that unicorns are not real, babes.” 

“They are too, I saw one once!” Chelsea insisted. “It was like a white horse but it had a horn on it. What do you call that?” 

“A horse with a pasted-on horn?” suggested Lottie. 

Chelsea pouted for a moment. “Okay then, no unicorns. How about this instead?” She made a frame with her fingers. “Doves! Just, loads of doves. They’re like, a symbol of weddings, right?”

Jude and Bobby looked at each other. _There is no way I’m having birds at my wedding,_ thought Jude, shuddering.

“We’ll put that in the maybe pile for now, Chels,” Bobby said, smiling at Chelsea, who didn’t appear to hear him, or even be listening to him.

“Wait, I’ve got it!” She suddenly shouted, raising a finger. “Let me design you a ‘Memories’ box! During the wedding, everyone can leave a note for you, which you can then read afterwards! It’ll be so sweet!” 

Bobby grinned. “Now, that’s actually a great idea!” 

“Yeah, Chels, that sounds amazing!” Jude added.

Chelsea fist pumped. “Yes! I’ll get started right away! Where did I put my emergency glitter kit?”

Jude caught her as she was about to walk off. “Maybe you can start tomorrow? Tonight, I just want to have some fun with my best person and my friends and…” She looked at Bobby, smiling. “My fiancé.” 

Bobby smiled back at her. 

Chelsea squealed. “Oh em gee, of course babe! Tomorrow we’re glittering, but tonight we’re dancing!” 

And with that, Chelsea dragged her off to the dance floor, the rest of the Islanders following behind them as they got ready to dance and celebrate Bobby and Jude’s engagement.

* * *

Two hours later, Jude and Bobby piled into a cab, sweaty and exhausted, but still buzzing with the thrill of the evening they’d just had. 

“What a night,” sighed Jude, slumping onto Bobby’s shoulder as the cab set into motion. 

“Late December, back in ’63,” Bobby sang jokefully. 

Jude smiled against his shoulder. “What a very special time for me.” 

“More special for me, though,” Bobby laughed. “It’s not every day a lad gets proposed to in front of all his friends.” 

“Did you like it? Like… you didn’t feel pressured to say yes or anything, right?” Jude asked, looking up at him.

“I mean, it was no flash mob,” Bobby started, and chuckled as Jude reached up and softly flicked his forehead. “Kidding. It was from the heart and it was you, so of course I loved it.” 

“Good.” Jude smiled. 

“And the ring behind the ear was a nice touch.” 

Jude giggled. “That was your sister’s idea, actually.” 

“Fiona’s full of good ideas,” Bobby agreed. “I still can’t believe she knew about this and didn’t say anything, the little minx.” 

“So am I,” Jude said. “But she’s proved she’s a good soldier. Next time I’m planning a surprise party, I know who to call.” 

“I think you might be putting too much faith in Fio’s secret-keeping abilities babe,” Bobby said. “She and I are related, after all.” 

“True that,” Jude sighed. “At least she’s got good taste in rings.” 

Bobby held out his hand, the ring glinting in the dimness, illuminated by passing streetlights. “I suppose that means she can help me pick out one for you.” 

Jude sat up. “Oh, you don’t have to. I’m not that fussed about—” 

“Shh,” Bobby shushed her with a finger to her lips. “You bought me a ring, so I’m buying you a ring back. What kind of piss-poor fiancé would I be otherwise?” 

Jude smiled. “Hmm, I’m starting to get used to that word coming from your lips.” 

“Which? Piss, poor?” 

Jude laughed. 

Bobby grinned. He reached out to tuck away a strand of Jude’s hair. “I love saying it. Fiancé. Fiancé.” He shuddered. “Every time, I get shivers down my spine. It’s like… how did I get so lucky that I get to call someone as incredible as you my fiancée?”

“It wasn’t luck, it was skill,” smirked Jude. 

“Oh, is that so?” Bobby laughed. “To be fair, you are very vocal about my skills, but it doesn’t hurt to hear one more time.” 

“Okay, big head,” Jude said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s not get carried away here. I was on about my skills, not yours.”

“Someone certainly thinks highly of themselves.” 

“Shouldn’t I? I’m obviously doing something right if you’ve agreed to marry me.” 

Bobby laughed. “You’ve caught me. It’s all about the sex.” 

“Knew it,” Jude chuckled. 

Bobby caressed her cheek. “Seriously, though. You’re the most amazing, beautiful person I’ve ever known, inside and out. It’s like the white dude with a beard in the sky finally discovered the recipe for the perfect woman, made you, then forgot it, cause you’re so perfect and unique. You’ve made my life more special than I ever thought possible, and I’m going to try my best to make you feel the same way every day for the rest of my life. I love you so much.” 

Jude’s chest flooded with warmth. “I love you too,” she said, leaning in. Bobby bridged the gap between them, his lips catching hers firmly. The kiss built up in intensity, their mouths opening, their tongues dancing around each other. Bobby tasted like the champagne they’d overindulged in at the reunion. 

Jude felt the seatbelt dig into her neck as she leaned a little further to wrap her arms around Bobby, clutching at the back of his shirt as his hands ran up her thighs, slipping under the fabric. His fingers dug into the soft skin of her bum, sending tingles down between Jude’s legs.

Jude was suddenly reminded they were in a cab when she heard someone clearing their throat pointedly. Her cheeks flushed as she sprang away from Bobby and saw the cabbie staring back at them with raised eyebrows. 

“We’re here, lovebirds,” he chuckled, nodding towards the entrance to the hotel they’d arrived at sometime during their snogging session. 

Bobby fumbled to take out his wallet, holding out a couple of bills to the cabbie. “Keep the change,” he said throwing the door open and helping Jude out after him. 

“Have a good night, you two!” the cabbie shouted as they climbed the stairs up to the hotel lobby. “And congratulations on your engagement!” 

Jude and Bobby both thanked him, their cheeks pinkening a little with embarrassment as they ran down the mostly empty lobby to the elevators. Once the doors closed open and the elevator started moving up, they looked at each other and burst into laughter, before Jude jumped back onto Bobby, their lips smashing into each other. The lift emitted a ding as they got to their floor and they stumbled out into the corridor, and they ran down to their room. Bobby pressed Jude against the door, kissing her as he fumbled for the key. Finally, he threw the door open, causing Jude to stumble back. Bobby’s arm shot out and caught her around the waist.

“Shit, sorry!” 

Jude chuckled. “Babe, if you want me flat on my back, all you have to do is ask!” 

Bobby laughed as he kicked the door closed. His mouth found Jude’s again as he pushed her against the wall, his hands gripping her hips, pulling her close. 

“No offence,” he said breathlessly between kisses, “I love that dress, but I think it’d look better on the floor.” 

“Do something about it then,” Jude challenged him. His hands were immediately on her back, tugging down the zipper. Jude shrugged out of the dress and it slipped to the floor, leaving her entirely naked save from a pair of knickers. She waited as his eyes roamed down her body, hearing his breath catch. 

“Like what you see?” she teased, smirking. 

Bobby’s only answer was to cup her face between his hands and snog her lips off again. As their kisses grew more and more urgent, Jude’s hands reached for the zipper to his trousers, undoing them and shoving them down. Bobby kicked out of them and pulled his shirt over his head. 

The feeling of his skin against hers made Jude burn with desire. She bucked her hips, feeling Bobby hardening against her, and a deep moan escaped her throat. 

“You’re driving me crazy, you know that?” Bobby groaned, his hands grabbing at her arse and pulling her closer to him. Jude smirked and moaned louder, feeling Bobby twitch as her mouth traveled down his neck, leaving a trail of kisses down to his pressure spot where she sucked hard. Bobby’s hand wound between her legs, his fingers sliding under her knickers, finding her spot and rubbing circles against it, sending waves of pleasure up Jude’s spine. 

“Mmmmmh,” she moaned as lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around Bobby’s waist, her hips rolling against his. Suddenly, she was being grabbed by the thighs and lifted up into the air. She squealed a little, wrapping her arms around Bobby’s neck as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He gently laid her down on it, his hands playing with the straps of her panties. Jude lifted her hips and he slid them down her legs, standing up to look at her splayed out on the bed. 

“Fuck,” he breathed. “So beautiful.” 

Jude grinned. “All yours, fiancé.” 

A little growl escaped from the back of Bobby’s throat. “All mine.” He laid back on top of her, straddling her as he kissed her hungrily, his hands caressing her naked body. Jude reached down between them, her fingers slipping under the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs and gently wrapping them around his shaft. She felt him shudder as she began to slide her hand up and down, his cock stiffening more under her touch. She was forced to stop as Bobby began moving down her body, his tongue licking a trail down her neck, between her breasts and down her bellybutton. He gently pushed her knees aside and settled between her legs. Jude moaned as his tongue started licking circles, his fingers sliding teasingly against her folds.

“You’re such a tease,” she whimpered.

He smiled against her. “That’s my M.O., Toe Queen,” he chuckled. “I always prove myself in the end though, don’t I?” 

“Not fast enough,” Jude whimpered again as his fingers almost slid in, pulling away at the last second. 

“Impatient,” he chuckled. His fingers finally slid in, and Jude gasped loudly as his index and middle finger began pumping inside her. Her knees tightened around his head as he kept licking and pumping, her hands gripping the bedsheets as she moaned and squealed her way to a climax.

“Oh my God!” She gasped, her hips bucking as the coil in her abdomen unwound itself. 

Bobby looked up at her from between her legs. As Jude watched, he brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked on them, which almost made her climax again. He licked his lips. “I could stare at you from this angle all day,” he said, sliding his hands up her thighs, shuffling onto the bed and settling between them. “But we’ve got things do, haven’t we?” 

He lowered himself over Jude, propping himself up on his elbows as he kissed her long and hard, slowly grinding against her. Jude’s fingers slipped into his dreads, clutching at them as his still covered shaft teased her. 

“Take those off,” she moaned, reaching down between them to pull at Bobby’s boxers. With a chuckle, he slipped them off, sending them flying across the room. Jude reached into the nightstand, where she’d stashed a pack of condoms before leaving for the reunion, aware that her night was likely to have a happy ending. She ripped a wrapper open and shook out the condom, then she reached for Bobby and rolled it on his hard dick. He fell back onto Jude, her legs wrapping around his hips as he slid up and down, teasing her entrance. 

“Bobby, please,” she whimpered, clutching at him. “I need you inside me, _now_.”

“So demanding tonight,” he joked. “Your wish is my command, fiancée.” And with that, he slid in slowly. Jude gasped as she shifted, letting herself readjust to the now-familiar length. 

“Fuck me, baby,” she pleaded into his ear. “Fuck me hard.” She felt him shiver under her palms as he started sliding in and out, first slowly, then faster and faster. They fell into a rhythm, moving together in perfect synchrony. Jude raked her nails over Bobby’s back as he pounded into her, moaning as waves of pleasure rolled down her spine.

“Hold on,” she gasped, grabbing Bobby’s shoulders and rolling on top of him, straddling his waist as she continued moving on top of him. His warm hands gripped her hips, helping her bounce and twist on top of him. 

“Fuuuuck,” he moaned, his face screwing up. He was starting to grunt irregularly, which Jude recognized as him nearing his climax.

Jude’s squeals grew louder and louder as she moved towards her own orgasm. “Harder,” she moaned pleadingly, and Bobby obliged, his hips moving faster as they collided into each other, gasping and groaning. 

Finally, the pressure in Jude’s stomach released. “BOBBY!” she screamed, clenching around him.

At the same time, Bobby let out a deep, guttural groan as he slammed into her, stilling inside her for several seconds as he released his load, his hips twitching against her. 

Jude fell gasping on top of Bobby, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as they both caught their breath. Bobby was still inside her, but Jude wasn’t in any rush to untangle herself from him. Lifting her head, she started pecking kisses all over his chest.

Bobby’s chest shook with laughter underneath her as she trailed kisses up his neck and all over his face. “Someone’s being cute all of a sudden.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying,” Jude said in between kisses. “I’m cute all the time.” 

“You’re crazy fit and scary intimidating all the time,” he corrected. “The cute only comes out when you’re either really comfy or happy.” 

“Oh, is that so?” Jude giggled. “Well in that case I guess it’s true, because I am both really comfy and really happy right now.” 

Bobby tilted his head up to brush his nose against hers. “Boop.” 

Jude grinned, brushing her nose back against his. “Back atcha.”

He smiled, cupping her face and kissing her deeply. Jude smiled into the kiss, linking her fingers behind Bobby’s neck and pressing herself into him, the warmth of his skin against hers sending butterflies fluttering into her stomach. 

It amazed Jude that a year into their relationship, every time she kissed Bobby, every time they touched, felt as exciting as those first few magical days inside the Villa, when their love was fresh and shiny. She kept waiting for the feeling to fade, for the boredom and doubt to settle in and for her old runaway-bride instincts to kick in, but they never had. Each time she looked at Bobby, she felt as giddy as she’d felt when she’d first given into her feelings, like a schoolgirl with her first crush. She started giggling. 

“What’s so funny?” asked Bobby, chuckling as he pulled his head back to look at her. 

Jude shook her head, still laughing. “I just feel like the cat who got the cream,” she murmured in disbelief. “I made out of Love Island like a bandit. A great tan, amazing life-long friends, twenty-five thousand pounds and the love of my life. It almost doesn’t seem fair.” 

“That’s cos it isn’t,” Bobby said. Jude rolled her eyes. “What? You know it’s true. I can’t help but feel a little bit smug, to be honest. Clearly, I must be doing something right because I walked outta there with you as my girlfriend. And now, fiancée.” 

Jude grinned. “Cocky bastard.” 

“Aye, that I am,” Bobby joked, grinding his hips into hers, sending little jolts of pleasure through Jude’s abdomen. “But you love me.” 

“I do,” she agreed, bending down to kiss him again. “I love you so much, you numpty.”

Bobby laughed against her lips. “Love you too, lass. Forever and ever.” 

Jude fell into the kiss. The only things she was aware of were Bobby’s hot hands roaming her body, his lips placing fluttery kisses down her neck, his tongue licking her collarbone. _Forever and ever,_ she thought as the night melted away around them while they made love like bunnies all over their hotel room, finally collapsing into bed in the wee hours of the morning and falling asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. _Sounds perfect._


	14. Reunion Special 2: The Wedding

Bobby was stuck in a birdcage. 

_Fucksake,_ he thought, lifting his phone in the air to try to get reception. But apparently, giant dovecotes didn’t have hotspots, and his screen stubbornly showed the words ‘NO SIGNAL.’ 

“Cannot believe this,” Bobby muttered as he paced in circles around the dovecote, running his hands through his dreads. “Leave it to Bobby McKenzie to get himself imprisoned in a birdcage five minutes before gettin’ married. Fuckin’ bampot.”

In retrospect, maybe the feather cape hadn’t been such a good idea. But how was Bobby supposed to know the door would bang shut behind him, leaving him trapped in a dark dome that stank of bird shite?

He gave the doorknob a shake, but it was still firmly locked from the outside. Bobby slumped against the door, sliding down to the floor. He supposed it was lucky he hadn’t yet changed into his wedding attire, otherwise his kilt would presently be covered in dove droppings, and that definitely wasn’t the look he was going for.

 _Why did we even let Chelsea talk us into doves?_ Bobby wondered, swinging the flashlight of his phone around the small space. Dirty feathers were strewn about the floor, which was also covered in droppings. _Jude hates birds in the first place._

Bobby smiled at the thought of her. His fiancée. His bride. His soon-to-be wife. The flutters in his chest erupted again, no less strong than the first time he’d used those words to describe her. 

Six months had passed since that day in early May when Jude had proposed to him. The weeks had flown by, as a whirlwind of wedding preparations overtook their lives. On top of their day-to-day commitments, Jude and Bobby rushed around between cake tastings and visiting venues and florist appointments. And as if that wasn’t enough, the new season of Love Island had propelled Jude and Bobby into the spotlight once more. They were taken off the shelf, dusted like old trophies and paraded around by producers and public alike as proof that Love Island could, in fact, produce long-lasting relationships, especially in light of their recent engagement. 

Bobby didn’t know exactly who had spilled the beans, though he suspected one bubbly blonde whose name rhymed with Belsea. Regardless of who had done it, he and Jude had woken up two days after the night of the reunion to their mentions blowing up. Their texts were flooded with links to articles with evocative titles, such as _‘Love Island’s Bobby McKenzie and Jude Duarte engaged in secret ceremony!’, ‘Happily Ever After: Love Island winners Jude and Bobby engaged after ten months of dating – insider source spills on their unusual proposal!’_ and _“Bobby and Jude: everything you need to know about Love Island’s real fairy tale couple [Photo Gallery].”_ The comment sections on their personal Instagrams as well as the accounts for Bobby’s Boops were inundated by thousands of emojis and exclamation points as fans expressed their excitement and congratulations for their impending nuptials. They’d even briefly trended on Twitter under the hashtag Juby Wedding.

And while Bobby and Jude were both genuinely grateful for the support and the love they had received, it had also meant more interviews, more requests for collabs, more brands reaching out to get them to sponsor this or that, and their schedules had filled up to near-bursting.

But Bobby couldn’t complain. The bakery was performing beyond his wildest imaginations. The staff he’d put together was both extremely competent and fun to work with, which meant he always looked forward to the days he spent there, baking with them in the kitchen. And even when he wasn’t there, Aileen, his second-in-command, managed everything like the true boss she was. 

And he was, unfortunately, gone quite often that summer, flying to and from London, Liverpool, Manchester, wherever he was required to do some appearance and rep the show. Sometimes, Jude was with him, sometimes they went separately. The events they both looked forward to the most were those where they got to support their fellow castmates. In July, Bobby and Jude had gladly attended the launch of Priya’s collab line with PLT, then the premiere of Tea Time with the Rennells, Gary’s segment on This Morning with his Nan, who’d finally given in under the pleading blue eyes of her grandson and the online nagging of an entire nation. A few weeks later, Jude had left him for an entire week to fly to Monaco with Shannon, Chelsea and Priya, fulfilling her promise from the Villa to Shannon and holding an early hen party at the same time. They’d had the time of their lives, judging by the photos Jude had shown Bobby upon her return, and those that had been snapped by paparazzi and blown up on the front page of every gossip mag for a solid five days.

Eventually, the summer had gone and passed. Love Island crowned a new pair of winners, who were now enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame. Bobby and Jude had happily passed on the torch, messaging the couple to congratulate them, welcome them to the Love Island family and to let them know to reach out if they needed anything at all. The emergence of a new and eager cast had also meant that the media’s obsession with him and Jude had somewhat lessened, and Bobby was secretly really glad of it. As summer drifted into autumn and the wedding got closer, the pace of their schedules got increasingly more frantic, and Chelsea had grown increasingly more frazzled right along with it. 

“This is too much excitement! I can't cope!” was a frequent complaint of hers. But she faithfully remained on top of the wedding preps, even managing a few clients of her own at the same time. 

Bobby’s excitement had grown the more the big day approached. He and Jude had opted for an autumn wedding for two reasons: first, the next summer was too far away and neither of them fancied waiting an entire year to get married, the impatience of it too much to handle. They wanted to get married at home anyway, and autumn in Scotland was as pretty as they came. And second, because of Jude’s mum. She hadn’t mentioned it to him since that evening back in the Villa when she’d come back from Casa Amor, but he vividly remembered when Jude had first told him about her ma’s death. 

“Two years this coming October,” she’d said quietly, a dull hurt flashing through her eyes. And so when they were discussing dates for the wedding, Bobby had suggested October, hoping that this happy occasion would help ease the painful memories the month held for Jude.

Though that certainly won’t happen if her fiancé doesn’t show up to the wedding, he thought in frustration, sticking his ear against the door to try to hear if there was anyone at all nearby that might help him. Several minutes passed by before he heard someone shouting faintly. 

“In here!” he yelled, banging his fist against the door. “Groom requires immediate assistance! Help! Help!” 

The shouting grew louder. Bobby barely had time to back away from the door as it was thrown open and a flock of white blurs flew straight at him. He yelped, ducking and covering his face with his hands. 

“Bobby, ye bawbag, what’re ye doin’ in here?” a loud voice shouted. Looking up, Bobby saw Big Jonno holding the door open, light streaming in from behind him, and he almost sobbed in relief. Before he could answer, Priya’s voice rang out behind his mate. 

“Jonno, close the door quickly before they escape again! We’ll send someone to get them once—” Priya appeared in the doorway beside Jonno, stopping short as she spotted Bobby. “What’re you doing in there?!”

“I—”

“We’ve been looking all over for you! Gaz was just about to send out an Amber alert, he’s freaking the fuck out,” she rattled on, grabbing Bobby under the arm and dragging him out of the dovecote. “And you’re not even dressed yet! The wedding’s starting in two hours and you smell like a hundred birds took a shit on you.”

“Oi! No insulting the groom on his wedding day!” Bobby protested as Priya marched him inside the hotel.

“Not if the groom looks like he picked a fight with a pillow and lost,” Priya countered. “Honestly, Bobby, there’s feathers in your hair! What the hell happened to you?” 

“I was trying to make a cape,” he tried to explain. 

Priya shot him a look. “You’re lucky you’re so pretty, cause sometimes I could swear you have three braincells. I have no idea how you bagged Jude.” 

“Trust me, neither do I,” Bobby said as Priya led him to a door. She knocked three times before letting herself in. 

Inside the room, Gary was pacing frantically as he spoke into his phone. He turned around as they entered, his face flushing with relief. 

“Never mind, we’ve found him! He’s here!” He shouted into the phone, ending the call. “Mate, where’ve you been?! I’ve looked for you everywhere!”

“Looks like I won this round of hide-an’-go-seek,” Bobby joked. 

Priya ignored him. “Found this one in the dovecote.”

Gary turned to Bobby. “What were you doing in the dovecote?” 

“Don’t ask,” Priya said before Bobby could respond. She let go of Bobby’s arm, shoving him at Gary. “Here you go, all yours. Make sure he takes a shower before anything. Don’t lose him again.” She leveled Bobby a look. “And you, don’t lose yourself again. If you ruin Jude’s day, I will make it my personal mission in life to castrate you and wear your family jewels as earrings.” 

Bobby chuckled. “As lovely as that sounds, I think I will keep my jewels to myself, thanks.”

Priya pointed one finger at herself, then two at Bobby. _I’m watching you,_ her eyes said as she walked out of the room.

Gary looked after her, shaking himself as the door slammed closed. “Right,” he said, sniffing at Bobby. “Ugh. You smell horrendous, man. You really do need a shower.” He looked up at Bobby’s head. “Why do you have feathers in your hair?” 

“I was attacked by a swarm of demonic pigeons, from whose claws I escaped only by the quickness of my wit.” 

Gary looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “Riiiight,” he drawled. “Well, let’s get those feathers off your head and then you can head in the shower. We’ve not got that much time left you know!” 

Bobby sat in a chair as Gary started picking dove plumage out of his locs, flicking them all over the floor. “Bruv, d’you realize that in a couple hours, you’re gonna be a married man?” He chuckled. “How’re you feeling?” 

“I’m bricking it,” Bobby admitted. “Not, like, the getting married part. I can’t wait to marry Jude.” His lips twitched up in a smile. “I’m just kinda worried that I’ll trip on my way up the altar and everyone will see more of me than they’ve ever wanted to see. Or that I’ll forget my speech or something.”

“Then you’ll do what the Captain B. Smooth does best and improvise,” Gary assured him. “Look, for what it’s worth, Jude is just as nervous.”

“Jude?” Bobby asked doubtfully. “ _My_ Jude? The Jude I’m about to marry?” 

“Mate I’m telling ya, she’s proper bricking it. Kept making up these scenarios about the venue burning down or getting invaded by aliens. I’ve not seen her like that since… well, never, to be honest. Chels gave her a cuppa and sent her to the bath to calm her down while we tried to figure out—” 

“Figure out what?” asked Bobby after Gary suddenly stopped talking. 

“Err, there was a bit of a situation with the doves and the venue,” Gary said cryptically. “No worries though, Pri sorted everything out. And you—” he said, clapping Bobby on the shoulders, “are also sorted out. Go shower now, I can’t stand the smell of you any longer.” 

“Thanks Gazza,” Bobby laughed as he headed to the bathroom. When he returned twenty minutes later, freshly washed and no longer reeking of bird fluids, he found Gary laying down his wedding costume. 

“Still can’t believe you have the bollocks to wear a kilt to your wedding,” Gary chuckled. 

“What kind of self-respecting Scotsman doesn’t wear a kilt to his wedding?” Bobby argued as Gary helped him get dressed, handing him his clothing one item at a time then smoothing down the creases of his jacket. Finally, he gave Bobby an affirmative nod.

“Mate, you look ace. Ready to be given away.”

“D’you reckon?” Bobby asked nervously. 

“Abso-frickin-lutely. Ten out of ten, would marry you myself.” 

Bobby laughed. “I reckon there’s still time to run away together if we really want to. What do you say, Big G? Shall we take this bromance to the road?” 

“I don’t think Jude would forgive me if I ran away with her man on her wedding day. She might send Priya after us and I really don’t need her hunting for my jewels.” Gary shuddered. “And once you see Jude, you won’t remember I even exist, I reckon.” 

Bobby grinned. “Mate I know. Not that you’re not pretty, but my fiancée is on a whole other level.”

“That’s on a regular day,” Gary said. “In her wedding dress, she’s like…” 

“Wait, but when did you see her in her wedding dress?”

“Oh, um, I went up to update her while you showered,” Gary admitted, flushing. “Chelsea was helping her into the dress when I came in.”

“Okay, I’m going to just skip over the fact you saw my wife-to-be in her undergarments because I need to know,” Bobby said. “What did she look like?” 

“Mate…” Gary smiled, shaking his head. “No words. Literally, no words.”

Bobby’s heart fluttered. “That good?”

Gary bit his lip nodding. “That good. I reckon if you don’t cry, I might. You’re a lucky son of a bitch.” 

“I knew that way before today, but thanks for saying it,” Bobby chuckled. 

He stopped laughing when Gary clapped his hands to his shoulders. “You got a good one bro,” he said seriously, looking Bobby straight in the eyes. “Take care of her.” 

Bobby grinned. “I was planning on it.” 

“Good,” Gary nodded. “Cause if you ever hurt her, you’ll have me to deal with. And Priya. And Chelsea. And Shannon. And Nan.” 

“Somehow, the scariest one in that lineup is Nan,” Bobby shivered. 

“She’s a phenom, all right,” Gary agreed. “But it’s only because she loves Jude. And you. And I love you too.”

Tears threatened to spring to Bobby’s eyes. “Aww, Gaz. I love you too.”

Gary sniffled. “Come here, big man,” he said, crushing Bobby in a bear hug. The two of them slapped each other on the back, gently swaying back and forth until a knock on the door made them spring apart. 

Priya strode into the room and stopped dead. “What’s going on in here?” 

“Nothing!” Gary said quickly. 

“Just two mates sharing a moment,” Bobby said. “Boys have feelings too Priya, you know?”

Priya cocked an eyebrow at them. “Uh-huh…” she drawled. “Anyway, if your bromance moment is over, I need Gary to come with me.” 

Gary frowned. “What for?” 

“Last minute best person duties.”

Gary looked at Bobby. “Were we done here?”

Bobby looked down at himself. “I’m showered and dressed. I reckon you’ve done your part.”

“Great,” Priya said, grabbing Gary’s wrist. She gave Bobby a stern look. “You, stay here. Don’t get yourself in any more trouble.”

Bobby mock saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.” 

With a last look of warning, Priya sauntered out of the room, dragging Gary after her. 

Bobby looked around the room. He found his phone lying on the bed and turned it on, a slew of texts instantly pinging down his lock screen, most of them from Gary.   
_  
>10:38 AM: Mate where r u??? _

_> 10:45 AM: Mate?_

_> 10:51 AM: MATE_

_> 10:58 AM: Did u fall in the loo? ANSWER UR PHONE _

_> 11:05 AM: Bobby seriously this isnt funny_

_> 11:09 AM: Mate ur gonna miss ur own wedding, come on_

_> 11:17 AM: BOBBY MCKENZIE MY NAN SAYS SHES MAKING U STAND IN THE SNOW IF U DON’T COME BACK RIGHT THIS SECOND_

_> 11:20 AM: Mate please, Priya’s about to rip off my balls, plz come back  
_  
A few texts were from Priya, who was more or less threatening physical violence if he didn’t show up in the next ten minutes. Chelsea had also sent him one, wondering if he could please bring her a bottle of bubbly. Classic Chels, Bobby chuckled. 

Last, he nervously opened Jude’s texts. She’d only sent two, and they were Jude to a T.   
_  
> 11:02 AM: Don’t you dare mug me off, Bobby McKenzie._

_> 11:04 AM: If you don’t come back I’m marrying Gary. Fuck it not letting this wedding go to waste_

_That’s my Toe Queen,_ Bobby thought, grinning. Suddenly, he was struck by the sudden need to see her.

He walked out of the room, walking down the corridor. He knew Jude’s room was somewhere down the hallway from his, so he just took his chances and knocked at the last door.

“Who is it?” 

Bobby instantly smiled at the sound of her voice. “It’s Bobby. Is Priya there?” He shouted through the door. 

“No, just me,” Jude shouted back, approaching the door. 

“Jess who?” Bobby teased.

“Har-har,” Jude said, her voice now right next to the door. She cracked open the door and peered at him. “What d’you want?” 

Bobby grinned, peeking down at the hint of white that showed through the small sliver of open door. “Are you in your dress? Can I see?”

He saw Jude hesitate. “Don’t you think it’s bad luck?” 

“Juju, I never knew you were so superstitious,” Bobby teased her. 

She chuckled. “You’re right,” she said, and fully opened the door. 

Bobby thought he’d been prepared for the vision of Jude in her wedding dress, but as he fully took her in, he honestly forgot to breathe for a moment. He’d seen the dress before, in photos Jude had shown him, but none of them had done it justice. The dress hugged her curves tightly, flaring out a little at the bottom, the neckline plunging just enough to show her cleavage but high enough to be tasteful. Her dark brown hair had been straightened and curled into perfect waves that fell over her shoulder, pinned on one side by a sparkly barrette. Her lips were glossy and her eyeliner was pointed to perfection. 

_An angel,_ thought Bobby, trying to regain control of his lungs. _She’s simply an angel. My angel._

“What d’you think?” she asked, doing a little spin. 

Bobby broke into a huge smile. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but… Wow. Holy wow. How is this real life?” He said, walking up to her. He rested his hands on Jude’s sides, running them down the slope of her curves to her hips. “I keep thinking that at any moment, Lottie or someone is gonna shake me awake and I’ll be back on the daybeds in the Villa. Because I definitely had this dream once or twice. And now I’m here. And I really, really hope I don’t wake up.”

Jude smiled mischievously at him, lacing her fingers behind his neck. “Let’s make the most of our time, then,” she said, and leaned forward. 

Bobby met her lips halfway, pressing his body close to hers. He could feel the heat of her skin beneath the silk of her gown, her familiar curves melding against him perfectly. 

“Even better than a dream,” he sighed as they broke apart. 

“You have lip gloss all over your mouth,” Jude giggled. “Wait a mo.” She shuffled towards her dresser, pulling out a pack of makeup wipes from her bag.

“I’m so glad you opened the door,” Bobby said as she walked back over to him. “I wanted a chance to just… be with you. Before all the craziness starts, you know?” 

Jude hummed as she carefully wiped the makeup off him. “Speaking of craziness… What the hell were you doing in the dovecote?” 

Bobby blushed. “Oh, that. I thought my wedding outfit could use some… glamming up.” 

Jude raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. “Babe, you’re literally wearing a kilt. What could you have possibly added to ‘glam it up’?”

“A cape,” he admitted sheepishly. 

Jude blinked at him. “A… cape?” 

Bobby nodded. “I went to the dovecote looking for some feathers to create one. I’d just discovered that it’s harder than it looks to create a cape from loose, dirty feathers when the door locked behind me. I thought I was gonna be stuck in there forever. Thank God Priya found me.”

Jude continued to stare at him a few more seconds. Then she burst into laughter. “A cape?! You—you wanted to make a—a cape from dove—dove feathers and you got s-stuck in—” 

“Yeah, yeah, get it all out now,” Bobby muttered, an amused smile playing on his lips. “I could’ve died you know? I was attacked by a flock of killer doves!” 

“Oh dear God,” Jude cried, doubling over. “Stop! You’re gonna ruin my makeup!”

“I’m glad that your fiancé possibly missing your wedding brings you so much joy,” Bobby grumbled.

“Can you blame me?” She giggled again, carefully wiping the tears from under her eyes. With a sigh, she cupped Bobby’s cheeks and gave him a peck on the lips. “All I can say is, life with you will definitely never be boring.”

Bobby grinned. “Nope.” 

“And I promise we’ll get you your feather cape. Maybe not today as the ceremony’s about to start, but we’ll definitely look into it for Halloween or something.” 

Bobby’s face lit up. “Really?”

“Really,” Jude said.

Bobby squeezed her waist. “And that is why you’re my soulmate.”

“Because no one else would let you get a feather cape?” 

“Exactly,” Bobby said, leaning down to kiss her. “I should get going,” he said, pulling away from her. “Chelsea and Priya are gonna be back soon and if they find me here you’ll be marrying a eunuch. You might not be a traditionalist, but Chelsea’ll definitely rip my nuts off for seeing you before the wedding.” 

Jude giggled. “You might not be wrong. For someone so sweet, Chels sure is a monster when it comes to wedding traditions.”

Bobby started to move towards the door, but Jude caught his wrist. “Wait! Before you go… Kiss me again.”

Bobby grinned, moving back towards her and taking her face in his hands. He planted his lips on hers, and it was like the world fell away around him. The minutes melted away as they kissed. Bobby’s hands moved up and down Jude’s back. For a few seconds there, he wanted nothing more than to do away with the dress and skip directly to the honeymoon part of the wedding. 

“I really better go now,” he said, reluctantly pulling away from Jude’s lips. 

“Alright,” she said. Hands entwined, she walked him to the door. “See you at the wedding. I’ll be the one wearing white.” 

“And I’ll be the one grinning like a Chessy cat,” Bobby winked. He opened the door and slipped out. “I love you,” he said, leaning forward to peck her lips one last time. 

“Love you too,” she smiled, slowly shutting the door. “Now go!” 

Bobby turned and walked down the hallway back to his room, floating on his own little cloud of happiness with the knowledge that in less than an hour, he’d officially be married to the love of his life.


End file.
